#fake fingerprint detection

[shadowofthesun123]

How I use AI in my artworks and what I think about AI in general

I think it’s time to have this conversation because questions keep coming up more and more often.

I know that many people here don’t like AI or completely ignore it. In this post, I’d like to share my personal view on the topic and also answer the question of whether I use AI in my artworks.

Let me start with the simpler question. The answer is “yes,” I do use AI tools in some of my artworks. However, none of them can be considered fully AI-generated.

Sometimes, I use AI to create backgrounds or silhouettes, but I completely change the faces, like here: https://pin.it/2RUhZKz4S.

Other times, almost everything is AI-generated, for example: https://pin.it/N8apDmpfz.

Sometimes I use face swap technology, faceapp for hairs, etc.

I also have arts created fully without AI, but the faces there are based on real photos of Hunter and Jenna and edited with filters.

For example:

https://pin.it/1DZvBcKVw, https://pin.it/5wAdQvIFe, https://pin.it/19G1mffb6.

In general, I use anywhere from 3 to 5 or more tools for my artworks, including AI.

Some cases wouldn’t be possible for me to create without AI because I simply don’t have the technical skills yet. Others, on the contrary, are impossible to get from AI, no matter how hard you try, so I go back to good old collage techniques and hand-drawing.

Now, about my attitude towards AI overall.

You may like it or not, but it’s now part of our lives, and ignoring it is no longer an option. No AI boycott will stop its development. Almost any app nowadays has inbuilt AI tools.

I’m currently on maternity leave, but even in my professional field, AI is already widely used, and when I return to work, I’ll either need to know how to use it or fall behind the industry. That’s why I’m studying AI, and I do enjoy the possibilities it offers.

That said, I don’t deny there are issues - copyright concerns, as well as serious problems with fraud and fakes it can enable. As a mother, I’m terrified by the thought that someone could use my voice or image against my children. Now we have to be much more careful with what information about ourselves we put online - photos, videos, audio.

AI also creates a lot of low-quality content. But there was also low-quality content before AI.

As for writing, I don’t use AI there. It’s terrible at creative writing, plus that’s a space I want to keep entirely my own.

However, I do use ChatGPT to help write and translate tons of bureaucratic emails in a foreign language (which is, unfortunately, necessary when living abroad), and this saves me time to do what I actually enjoy, including writing.

One of my favorite YouTube videos from last year is about scientific breakthroughs of 2024. It’s in Russian, so I won’t link it here, but it mentions how AI, thanks to its ability to process massive amounts of data and detect patterns, has already helped scientists with several discoveries. For example, it helped identify a substance that might be effective against antibiotic-resistant bacteria. It also contributed to a breakthrough in forensics related to fingerprint analysis, among other things.

Of course, AI makes mistakes, it’s often inaccurate, and everything it produces needs double-checking. But it can also be useful. That’s why I disagree with people who view AI as pure evil.

I use it for art, video projects, web design, and official correspondence, languages learning. Even though I try to keep up with AI trends, it evolves so fast that it’s impossible to follow everything - it updates literally every day.

It can be used for bad things (fraud), but also for good (scientific research). I’d say how I use it is somewhere in the neutral zone. I hope it doesn’t harm anyone - and maybe even makes someone happy.

So, I will continue creating art, including with the help of AI, and in my next post, I’ll tell you about my experiments with AI videos.

I’m open to discussing this topic - but please, be polite.

[ladymiraclewings]

Zoe Lee: Detective, why does it look like you are rubbing off fingerprints at the crime scene? Nino Lahiffe: *in a fake attire* What?? I was just rubbing the dust off the doorhandle-

[mulders-too-large-shirt]

s1 episode 17 "E.B.E." thoughts

i enjoyed this episode and was deeply excited for my nightly scully and mulder time. these two factors led to me taking a lot of notes tonight, even by my standards!

the first thing i wrote was "okay i read the synopsis... are they going to get CANCELLED" (thankfully this did not happen!)

the title screen reading "present day" did not predict me watching this in 2024 but i love to prove ppl wrong!!

the trucker pulled his shotgun out and fired at a spaceship which was a bold move. we need to praise him for his courage if nothing else.

then our intrepid heroes jump to tennessee!! and mulder unpacks all his little gadgets to check for aliens... aww it's endearing to me

in the interrogation room they were talking to the trucker and this man really WAS lounging about in a whorish manner like that famous post said!!!!! i was shocked!!! no decorum, not even at an interrogation!!

okay they're talking about "gulf war syndrome". i need to look something up real quick -> good lord i thought they made that up for the show but it's real and that is horrific. wow. that will be the next research rabbit hole i dive down.

(she opens her mouth to say something) (he holds his finger up) "not-not here" argument SUCCESSFULLY POSTPONED!

some background character asked scully for a pen and she gave it to her and i KNEW it was a sneaky trick... my guess was that she was going to use her fingerprints for something but in actuality it had a tracking device in there!!!!

THEY TOOK A BUS!!! new mode of transportation unlocked for our duo!!!!!!! you can tell this is fiction because it involves the US having functional public transport!!!!

mulder takes scully to his latest collection of freaks and conspirators. he says that barney is the world's most evil agent which once again raises the question: what did barney do to deserve all this?

one of the ufo nerds says "she's hot" right in front of scully which she graciously ignores. but then she says the us government is incompetent and the guy says "she IS hot" louder this time and mulder tells him to SETTLE DOWN!!!! he said that is my FRIEND and you will be RESPECTFUL!!!

(scully gives her $20 bill to a strange man) (he rips it up) she says, in the most indignant scully voice you have ever heard, heyyyy >:(

she says those guys were the weirdest people with the most outlandish theories she had ever met and mulder responds with "you think it's remotely plausible that someone might think you're hot?"

(A STUNNED SILENCE FILLS THE ROOM. MANY WANT TO KNOW WHY HE SAID THIS AND NO ANSWERS HAVE BEEN ACHIEVED. HELLO???? WHAT WAS THE LOGIC HERE???? is he flirting. is this is twisted humor. scully, once again, GRACIOUSLY says nothing)

she's all mad at how self important those guys were being- "they probably think they're being tracked wherever they go!" (cut to tracking device in pen reveal) oh these silly geese!!!!!!!

mulder at home reveal!!! we haven't gotten much of this before. he promptly fell asleep on his couch lmao what a guy.

a deep throat return!!! he hands mulder a package from under his coat like they do in all the good spy media!!! shoutout to that weird old man!!

scully thinks it's weird that mulder is trusting some guy and says a line that will certainly haunt me forever: "mulder, you're the only one i trust" "then you're gonna have to trust me" (immediately proceeds to get betrayed by trusting that guy. lol. lmao, even)

he says they'll meet up at her place and reassures her with a shoulder grab and lean in that was entirely unnecessary but it brought me great pleasure

scully uses her sleuthing skills (eyeballs) to realize the alien photo deep throat gave them is very fake. she is a detective!!! but he is very angry that she won't go with him to chase this new lead!

(wait i wrote all of this next part down i loved it so much)

"i have never met anyone so passionate and dedicated to a belief as you. it's so intense, sometimes it's blinding. but there are others who are watching you, who know what i know, and whereas i can respect and admire your passion, they will use it against you. mulder, the truth is out there, but so are lies." <- banger monologue that really pissed off the man it was directed towards (even though she said she admires him!!!!!!)

when he realizes the photo is indeed a fake, he menacingly leans in towards scully and says "we're alone on this one. there's no one we can trust" and yeah it was scary but i was looking at scully's freckles. sorry (it WILL happen again)

mulder meets deep throat in an aquarium!!!! need to see him in an aquarium for recreational purposes. get him a little shark keychain in the gift shop.

but now he's MAD at deep throat for lying to him and denying the world the truth: that aliens exist! shh keep your voice down you might scare the sharks!!

deep throat says "a lie is most convincingly hidden between two truths" to which i wrote, "ooo good line"

deep throat knows mulder is being listened to electronically which made me think that if i knew i was being wiretapped, i would blast the most insufferable hyperpop i know over and over again. hello welcome to the 10 hour 100 gecs livestream in my living room, feds. i give you 20 minutes tops before you give up.

(cutscene to mulder ripping apart all of his furniture in his apartment) <- me when i get that Cleaning Urge at 3 am

ohhh the little finger hand signal means someone is listening to us !!! the intimacy of being able to communicate with someone with just a motion!

scully hails a cab which is so nostalgic for me, because i have never hailed a cab in my life and only see it happen in tv shows or movies. now we just call an uber which is like kinda the same thing but taxis popped off with the bright yellow design. sad i've never experienced that.

sometimes while i'm watching the show it will randomly go to like vhs level quality and it did that here while scully was buying a plane ticket lol

next thing i wrote was "there are only 15 minutes left they are NOT gonna solve this one boys"

mulder fell asleep in the car with his mouth wide open... that is my cringefail loser princess

the alien got away! (jk it was a trap... but i was momentarily happy for the alien)

scully was scared by this turn of events! "god mulder, i can't stop shaking"... oh, an episode 1 parallel?? (she still gets scared by these things!!! just not often!!! which makes it more impactful when it happens!!)

then they crashed a random party in the woods which i can only imagine is very good for your health, especially if its a ufo welcoming party

they very briefly got aliases to break into the government facility and i LOVE a good alias but it didn't really go anywhere. sad!

a guard is stalking them breaking into a place they Should Not Be and scully gives up and turns herself in, but mulder makes a break for it!!! "oh this isn't gonna end well," i wrote, "why does he keep doing this?"

but we meet DEEP THROAT at the scene!!! who reveals that post ww2 there was an ULTRA SECRET WORLD POWER conference during which they agreed to kill any aliens that landed on earth and that HE was one of the 3 people on earth to kill an alien!! which he did when one crashed in vietnam...

and that the innocence on the alien's face still haunts him, which is why he helps mulder out, to give him a chance to atone for his sins... a LOT to unpack there

mulder says he is trying to figure out which of these things he said is a lie and my money is on the super-secret conference. you think people had nukes but drew the lines at aliens being a safety threat to bring them all together? bffr.

but there is no resolution as to if mulder is mad at scully for throwing them under the bus as the episode ends! they just watch deep throat fade into the distance together which hopefully means it's water under the bridge.

overall i really liked this episode! it was fast-paced, involved a roadtrip, had the leads both fighting and comforting each other, confessions of admiration, secret hand signals, an aquarium, a peek into mulder's living space, him calling up some weird guys he knows... what more could you really want?

[nareshkumartech]

How Canadian Licensing Systems Protect Against Identity Fraud

Identity fraud is a growing concern worldwide, and Canada is no exception. As licenses increasingly serve as key forms of identification for banking, travel, and government services, Canadian licensing systems have had to evolve with robust security measures to protect against identity fraud. Whether you are applying for your first license or renewing an existing one, it’s important to understand how these systems work to safeguard your personal information.

1. Advanced Physical Security Features

Modern Canadian driver’s licenses are embedded with multiple physical security features designed to make them extremely difficult to forge or tamper with. These include:

Holographic overlays: Special images that appear when the license is tilted, making duplication extremely difficult.

Microprinting: Very tiny text that is not visible to the naked eye but detectable under magnification, preventing easy reproduction.

Ghost images: A faint second image of the license holder that helps prevent photo swapping.

Raised lettering: Some jurisdictions use raised text that you can feel, adding another layer of protection against fakes.

These built-in technologies make it easy for authorities and businesses to quickly spot a fraudulent license during routine checks.

2. Digital Data Encryption

Canadian licensing systems now store driver data in encrypted databases, making unauthorized access to personal information extremely difficult. When information is transferred — such as when police scan your license or when you renew online — the data is encrypted both in transit and at rest. This ensures that even if someone intercepts the data, it remains useless without the decryption keys.

3. Stringent Identity Verification at Issuance

Before issuing a license, provincial and territorial licensing authorities conduct rigorous identity verification checks. Applicants must present multiple pieces of identification, including:

Proof of legal status in Canada (passport, PR card, visa).

Proof of residency within the province.

Secondary documents such as a birth certificate, citizenship card, or utility bill.

In many cases, cross-checks with federal databases (like immigration records or citizenship status) ensure that the applicant is who they claim to be. Newcomers may also face additional document checks to confirm their eligibility before a license is issued.

4. Real-Time Photo Comparison and Biometrics

When you renew your license or apply for a new one, your photograph is compared with existing photos on record using facial recognition software. This system helps detect cases where someone might be trying to fraudulently assume another person’s identity. In the future, more provinces are planning to expand the use of biometrics, such as fingerprints or iris scans, to further strengthen identification measures.

5. Ongoing Monitoring and Alerts

Canadian licensing systems do not just verify identities at the point of issuance — they continue monitoring afterward. If a license is reported stolen, lost, or involved in suspicious activity, it can be flagged in the system. Law enforcement agencies and border officials have real-time access to these databases, making it harder for stolen or fraudulent licenses to be used undetected.

Additionally, provinces encourage drivers to immediately report lost or stolen licenses to prevent identity theft and ensure the system remains secure.

Canadian licensing authorities are committed to staying ahead of fraudsters by continually updating security features and identity verification processes. Thanks to multi-layered protection — from physical security measures to real-time monitoring — Canadians can trust that their licenses remain a strong line of defense against identity fraud.

For step-by-step guidance on obtaining your driver’s license safely and staying informed about new ID requirements, visit LicensePrep.ca. Their resources make navigating the licensing process simple and secure!

[dcextra]

ShinRan Archive: Shinichi Kudo

Transcribed w/ machine translation

迷宮なしの高校生探偵 High school detective with no unsolved mystery

工藤新一 CV:山口勝平 Shinichi Kudo CV: Kappei Yamaguchi

負けず嫌いで、己の正義に忠実。難解な謎に心を躍らせ、大人顔負けの鋭い推理を自信たっぷりに披露するーそれが、高校生探偵・工藤新一だ。整った顔立ちで頭脳明晰、サッカーも相当な実力で、ファンも多い。 He hates losing and is loyal to his own sense of justice. Shinichi Kudo is a high school detective who gets excited about difficult mysteries and confidently shows off his incisive deductions that rival those of adults. He has a good-looking face, a clear head, and is also very good at soccer, so he has many fans.

そんな彼が一途に想いを寄せるのは、幼なじみの毛利蘭。ある時、飲まされた薬の作用で体が縮み、正体を隠し”江戸川コナン”として過ごすことに・・・。だが、新一は決して諦めない。工藤新一として、蘭のもとに帰る日まで！ The person he has a crush on is his childhood friend Ran Mouri. One day, his body shrinks due to the effects of the drug he was forced to drink, and he ends up hiding his true identity and living his life as ``Conan Edogawa.'' However, Shinichi never gives up. Until the day he returns to Ran as Shinichi Kudo!

「また難事件があれば、この名探偵、工藤新一��ご依頼を！！」 “If you have another difficult case, please ask this great detective, Shinichi Kudo!”

数々の難事件を解決した日本警察の救世主 The savior of the Japanese police who solved many difficult cases

工藤新一は、世界的な推理小説家の父と元女優の母を持つ帝丹高校２年祭。探偵である。観察力と記憶力を活かし、現場や証言の僅かな違和感も見過ごさない。小さな手がかりから柔軟な発想で真実を解明し、証拠を積み上げた隙のない推理ショーで、犯人を追いつめる！その実績から、警察関係者の信頼は厚く、警部クラスにも顔が利く。 Shinichi Kudo is a second year student at Teitan High School whose father is a world-renowned mystery novelist and mother is a former actress. he is a detective. Utilizing his powers of observation and memory, he does not overlook the slightest discomfort in the scene or testimony. Unravel the truth from small clues with flexible thinking, and hunt down the culprit with a solid mystery show that accumulates evidence! Due to his track record, he is highly trusted by police officials and has a good reputation even among police inspectors.

新一が探偵を志したのは、ホームズへの憧れから。幼い頃は”ホームズの弟子”を名乗り、探偵修業していたことも。事件に遭遇すると推理したくてワズワズ・・・。授業もデートも抜け出して、事件現場に駆けつけてしまうのが探偵の性だ! Shinichi wanted to become a detective because of his admiration for Holmes. When he was young, he called himself ``Holmes' apprentice'' and even trained as a detective. Whenever he encounters an incident, he always wants to deduce it... It's the detective's nature to skip classes and dates and rush to the crime scene!

(Top picture) 警視庁捜査一課から捜査協力の依頼を受け、殺人の起きた屋敷に駆けつけた新一。見事な推理で足のケガを装った犯人を逮捕し、その勇姿は新聞にも掲載された。（ONE） Shinichi receives a request from the Tokyo Metropolitan Police Department's First Investigative Division for investigation cooperation, and rushes to the mansion where the murder occurred. With his brilliant deductions, he arrested the culprit who had faked a leg injury, and his bravery was even published in the newspaper. (ONE)

(Top left picture) 容疑者の座席でフィルムの切れ端を発見し、指紋を付けないようハンカチで拾う。捜査は丁寧で、現場を荒らすことはない。（１６２話） They found a piece of film in the suspect's seat and picked it up with a handkerchief to avoid getting fingerprints on it. The investigation is thorough and the scene is not disturbed. (162 episodes)

(Middle top left picture) 怪しい黒ずくめの男を、とっさに尾行。探偵としての勘も冴えている。（ONE） Quickly tail the suspicious man dressed in black. He also has good intuition as a detective. (ONE)

(Middle bottom left picture) 取引現場を証拠に残すため、対象から目を離すことなく、手の感覚だけでシャッターを切る。（ONE） In order to leave evidence of the transaction scene, you can release the shutter using just the feel of your hand without taking your eyes off the subject. (ONE)

(Bottom left picture) 手を握っただけで、相手が体操をやっていると指摘し驚かせる。鋭い観察力が導き出した推理だ。（ONE） Just by holding his hand, he surprises him by pointing out that he is doing gymnastics. This is a deduction based on keen observational skills. (ONE)

(Bottom right picture) アリバイとして提出された動画に違和感を指摘。見つけた証拠を一つ一つ突きつけて犯人を追い込み、自供を引き出した。 （７７��話） He pointed out that there was something strange about the video that was submitted as an alibi. He used every piece of evidence he found to corner the criminal and extract a confession. (Episode 773)

ぶれない正義・・・真実を求める覚悟

新一は、推理力だけでなく探偵として強い信念を持っている。推理は勝ち負けではないと考え、どんなに信じがたい真相でも目を背けず、受け止める。推理で人を死に追い込んでは殺人犯と同じ。誰も死なせない・・・。相手が犯罪者であっても信条を貫く。 Unwavering justice...determination to seek the truth

Shinichi not only has great deduction skills, but also has strong beliefs as a detective. He believes that deduction is not about winning or losing, and accepts the truth without turning away, no matter how hard it is to believe. If you cause someone to die by reasoning, you are the same as a murderer. I won't let anyone die... Stick to your beliefs even if your opponent is a criminal.

クール？無愛想？気障なセリフもさらり・・・探偵として語り出した新一は、時に芝居がかった詩的な表現を口にする。聞いている側が思わず赤面するようなセリフも、照れる様子もなく素で言ってのける。一方、機嫌の悪い時は子供っぽい表情も見せる。 cool? Unfriendly? Even the annoying lines are easy... Shinichi, who begins speaking as a detective, sometimes uses poetic expressions with a hint of drama. He can say lines that would make the listener blush, without any embarrassment. On the other hand, when he is in a bad mood, he also shows a childish expression.

(Top picture) 真実はいつも一つ。推理には上も下もないと言う新一に、平次も感服。（４９話、ONE） There is always one truth. Heiji is also impressed by Shinichi who says that there is no upper or lower in deduction. (Episode 49, ONE)

(Second row left picture) 蘭とレストランで食事中、殺人事件が発生。探偵として真相を求める気持ちを抑えきれない新一は、見兼ねた蘭に送り出された。（１９２話） While eating with Ran at a restaurant, a murder occurs. Shinichi, who cannot suppress his desire to seek the truth as a detective, is sent away by Ran who can't help but look for him. (Episode 192)

(Second row right picture) 通り魔を助けた理由をきかれ、理由なんて要るのかとキッパリ。この言葉は蘭の心にも響いた。（２８８話） When asked why he helped the passerby, he flatly replies that he doesn't need a reason. These words also touched Ran's heart. (Episode 288)

(Top right picture) 遺された家族への配慮で、動機を秘匿した。（５２１話） The motive was kept secret out of consideration for the family left behind. (episode 521)

(Third row left picture) 「静かに・・・」演劇のような所作。（１９１話） "Quietly..." A theatrical gesture. (Episode 191)

(Third row right picture) 不機嫌になると、す��ジト目に・・・。（６１７話） When he’s in a bad mood, he looks scornful... (617 episodes)

(Bottom picture) 蘭と訪れた水族館で起きた殺人に、血の匂いで勘づいた新一。真実を追求する探偵の性分を、サメの習性になぞらえて語った・・・。（７７２話、ONE） Shinichi senses a murder that occurred at the aquarium he visited with Ran because of the smell of blood. He compared the nature of a detective who pursues the truth to the habits of a shark... (Episode 772, ONE)

「それが探偵さ・・・」 "That's a detective..."

平成のホームズに死角なし！？名探偵の心得 There are no blind spots in Heisei Holmes! ? Tips of a great detective

推理を支えるのは幅広い知識！推理にひらめきを与えるのは、分野を問わず蓄積された経験と知識！幼い頃からその大切さを知り、多くを学んできた。 A wide range of knowledge supports reasoning! It is the experience and knowledge accumulated in any field that gives inspiration to deductions! I knew the importance of this from an early age and have learned a lot from it.

(Top right, then left to right pictures) 保育園児にしてコナン・ドイルを熟読。謎解きやトリックの知識、推理ショーの秘訣も学んだ。（８５４話） （語学） 「あなたはいつトイレにはいりましたか？」 （化学）化学知識の応用！？薬品を合成し煙幕を生成。煙に隠れて教室から抜け出し捜査に向かった！（OVA ４） （医学）遺体を外から見ただけで死因と凶器を推測。人体の構造や機能に通じている。（１６２話） As a kindergartener, I read Conan Doyle thoroughly. He also learned riddles, tricks, and the secrets of mystery shows. (Episode 854) (Language) “When did you go to the bathroom?” (Chemistry) Application of chemical knowledge! ? Synthesize chemicals and generate a smoke screen. I sneaked out of the classroom under the cover of smoke and headed to investigate! (OVA 4) (Medicine) The cause of death and murder weapon can be estimated just by looking at the body from the outside. Familiar with the structure and functions of the human body. (162 episodes)

軽やかな身のこなしで捜査に臨む！ 探偵に必要なのは頭脳だけにあらず！捜査では、危険な現場に踏み入ったり、凶悪犯に襲われることも・・・。身体能力の鍛錬もぬかりなし！ He approaches the investigation with a light body! A detective needs more than just brains! During the investigation, you may enter dangerous scenes or be attacked by violent criminals. Training of physical ability is also perfect!

探偵に必要な運動神経をつけるために始めたサッカー。中１で早くもレギュラーの座を獲得した。（１０１話）

蘭の蹴りを難なくかわす動体視力と反射神経。急カーブで傾いた車では、蘭と箱乗りしてバランスを取る。（上はONE、右は２８６話）そばにあった地球儀を犯人に向けて蹴り飛ばし、見事命中！逃亡を阻止した。正確さと威力を兼ね備えたキックだ。（ONE） He started playing soccer to develop the athleticism needed to become a detective. He earned a regular spot as early as his first year in junior high school. (Episode 101)

His dynamic vision and reflexes allow him to easily dodge Ran's kicks. When the car tilts due to a sharp curve, Ran and I ride in a box to maintain balance. (Top is ONE, right is episode 286) He kicks a nearby globe at the criminal and hits the target! prevented escape. It's a kick that combines accuracy and power. (ONE)

超高校級特殊技術も習得済み！

車の運転はもちろん、モーターボートや飛行機の操縦まで！”ハワイで親父に教わった”。たびたび口にする通り、優作の指導により得た技術は多い。 Super high school level special techniques have also been learned! Not only can you drive a car, but you can also pilot a motorboat or airplane! ``My father taught me this in Hawaii.'' As I often say, I have learned many techniques from Yusaku's guidance.

（操縦）コナンの姿で、ヘリコプターの操縦をこなした。子供の頃に航空博物館の模擬操縦で身につけた技術。（劇場版 ２） （爆弾処理）配線図を見ただけで爆弾の構造を理解。非常ドアごしに蘭へ指示を出し、爆弾を解除させた。（劇場版 １） （射撃）射撃もハワイで特訓。射撃の腕には自信あり。少しでも照準を外せば危険が及ぶ緊張の場面でも、迷いなく撃ち込める。（左から２１９話、劇場版 ２） (Piloting) He piloted a helicopter in his Conan form. He learned this skill when he was a child doing mock maneuvers at an aviation museum. (Movie version 2) (Bomb disposal) Understand the structure of a bomb just by looking at the wiring diagram. He gave instructions to Ran through the emergency door to defuse the bomb. (Movie version 1) (Shooting) Special shooting training in Hawaii. I am confident in my shooting skills. Even in tense situations where he could be in danger if he misses his aim even slightly, he can shoot without hesitation. (Episode 219 from left, movie version 2)

（何気ない言動にドギマギ・・・♥）蘭が相手だと冗談にも翻弄されっばなし。ジェットコースターでふいに手を握られてドキッ！（ONE） (I'm confused by his casual words and actions... ♥) When Ran is his partner, he's at the mercy of jokes. I was shocked when my hand was suddenly held on a roller coaster! (ONE)

つかず離れず・・・幼なじみ一筋。 気が強く、意地っ張りで、そのくせ涙もろい・・・。幼なじみの蘭をずっと近く見てきた新一。その想いは一途で、多くのファンレターをもらっても目移りしたことはない。蘭が絡むと日頃は冷静な頭脳も歯車がくるうのか、熱い男に変貌する。組織のことを伝えないのは、蘭の���を案じればこそ。本当のことを言えず蘭を待たせ続けて、もどかしさと悔しさが募るばかり・・・。会えない時間を乗り越え、ついに告白することができた！ Never leaving...a childhood friend. She's strong-willed and stubborn, and yet she's also prone to tears... Shinichi has been watching his childhood friend Ran closely. His desire is single-minded, and even though he receives many fan letters, he has never given up on him. When Ran gets involved, his normally calm mind seems to turn into gears, and he transforms into a passionate man. The reason he doesn't tell her about the organization is because he's worried about Ran's safety. He keeps making Ran wait without telling him the truth, which only increases his frustration and regret... After overcoming the time when we couldn't meet, I was finally able to confess my feelings!

事件を優先させて、またしても蘭を置いて来てしまった新一。待ち続けている蘭の元に戻り、伝えたい言葉があるのだが・・・。思い通りにならない体に、焦りと悔しさが募る。（１９３話） （アイツがまってるのに・・・っ） Shinichi prioritizes the case and leaves Ran behind once again. He returns to Ran, who has been waiting for her, and has something to say to her... I feel a growing sense of impatience and frustration as my body doesn't turn out the way I want it to. (Episode 193) (Even though she's waiting...)

（出会った日から・・・） 初めて合った日、とびきりの笑顔に心を撃ち抜かれた！その日から蘭一筋。（８５４話） 友達への照れから、蘭を名字で呼び、距離を取ろうとしたことも・・・。（４７３話） （ついつい強がって・・・） 監禁被害者の救出を電話で指示。たびたび電話でピンチを助けている。（５１１話） （会えない二人を繋ぐのは電話とメール） （言いたいことも聞きたいこともいっぱい・・・）新一の姿に戻った貴重な機会に、蘭と気持ちを確かめ会いたかったのだが・・・。（５２３話） (From the day we met...) On the first day we met, his amazing smile stole my heart! From that day on, I was devoted to Ran. (Episode 854) Out of embarrassment for her friend, he called Ran by her last name and tried to distance himself from her... (Episode 473) (I just kept getting stronger...) Give instructions over the phone to rescue a confinement victim. She often helps people in a pinch over the phone. (episode 511) (Telephone calls and emails connect two people who cannot meet each other) (There are so many things I want to say and ask...) I wanted to take the precious opportunity to meet Ran and see how she feels after returning to Shinichi's form, but... (Episode 523)

ロンドンで再会するも、余計な感情が入りまくって蘭の心は推理不可能・・・。感情を爆発させ走り出した蘭を捕まえて「好きな女」と伝えられた！（６２１話） 「オメーは厄介な難事件なんだよ！」 Even though they meet again in London, Ran's feelings are filled with so many unnecessary emotions that it is impossible to understand them... When Ran bursts with emotion and runs off, he catches Ran and tells her that he is the woman he likes! (621 episodes) “You are a troublesome and difficult case!”

もう一人の幼なじみ、園子が知る！？ 工藤新一の素顔 新一くんは・・・女にデレデレ！？

探偵としての活躍が新聞や雑誌に取り上げられて、チヤホヤされてる（？）新一君。まさか浮気してないでしょうね？

女性の体に腕を回し、容疑者とキスした姿勢を再現しつつ、囁くような事情聴取。これが蘭に知れたら・・・。（１９２話）

「推理オタク」とバカにする蘭に、ファンレターの束を見せつける新一君。モテモテぶりに顔のニャケが止まらない！？ Another childhood friend, Sonoko, knows! ? Shinichi Kudo's real face Shinichi-kun is crazy about women! ?

Shinichi-kun's activities as a detective have been featured in newspapers and magazines, and he is getting a lot of attention (?). I'm sure you're not cheating on me, are you?

He wraps his arms around the woman and recreates the position of kissing the suspect while interrogating her in whispers. If Ran finds out about this... (Episode 192)

Shinichi shows off a stack of fan letters to Ran, who makes fun of him for being a "mystery geek." I can't stop my face from being so popular! ?

新一君は・・・ムッツリスケベ！？

クールに装い、カッコつけても、中身はただの男子高校生。思春期真っ只中の頭で、何を考えていることやら・・・。園子様はお見通し！ ”ブラジャーを見せてくれ”と、頼む新一君。目的は本当に捜査だけ・・・！？（１６２話）

（ドサクサに紛れて！）

蘭とキスする”フリ”の演技中、無言でやたらと顔を近づける新一君。（１９０話）

（甘い妄想を膨らませて・・・）

アツいカップルの姿を、蘭との甘いラブシーンに変換して脳内再生！（ONE）

新出と蘭の関係でも妄想。（１７１話）

水着を直す蘭のお尻っを激写。新一君に見せたら喜びそうね！（１５３話）

（お宝画像にドキドキ！？）

蘭の胸元をとらえた刺激的な１枚を送ってあげた！（４１１話） Shinichi-kun... you're such a pervert!?

Even if he dresses cool and looks cool, inside he is just a high school boy. What are you thinking in your head in the midst of adolescence? Sonoko-sama is looking forward to it! "Please show me your bra," Shinichi asks. The purpose is really just to investigate...! ? (162 episodes) (Get lost in the crowd!) While pretending to kiss Ran, Shinichi silently brings his face closer to Ran. (190 episodes) (Inflate your sweet delusions...)

Convert the image of a hot couple into a sweet love scene with Ran and replay it in your mind! (ONE)

Even the relationship between Shinde and Ran is delusional. (Episode 171)

A close-up shot of Ran's butt as she fixes her swimsuit. I think Shinichi will be happy if I show it to him! (153 episodes)

(Are you excited about the treasure image?)

I sent you an exciting photo of Ran's chest! (Episode 411)

新一君は・・・大の推理バカ！

推理が好きすぎて、周りが見えなくなる傾向アリ。デリカシーのなさに蘭も苦労してるわ。

持ち前の観察眼と分析力を披露する新一君。それが蘭のデート気分を壊していることには気づかず・・・。（７７２話）

ホームズのことを興奮気味に語る新一君に、蘭は置いてけぼりよ！（１話）

機内の殺人現場で勝手に検証を始め、警察はカンカン。（１６２話）

事件に夢中なアイツを”大バカ推理之介”と称した蘭。（２２９話） Shinichi-kun is...a huge deduction idiot!

He loves deduction so much that he tends to lose sight of his surroundings. Ran is also struggling with the lack of delicacy.

Shinichi shows off his observational and analytical skills. He doesn't realize that this is ruining Ran's mood for the date... (Episode 772)

Shinichi talks excitedly about Holmes, so leave Ran alone! (Episode 1)

He started investigating the murder scene on the plane without permission, and the police were furious. (162 episodes)

Ran calls the guy who is obsessed with the case "Big Idiot Mystery". (Episode 229)

[jungkoode]

The craziest thing about this plagiarism thing is this person genuinely seems to be talking like you. If i didnt see typos i woumd have thought they just put your writing through an AI to spit out the story and all your messages. Its lowkey freaking me out

Roo babe you are NOT the first person to bring this up to me and honestly I’ve been chewing on it for a bit now because it opens up a super fascinating discussion—not just about plagiarism, but also about authorship, mimicry, and the whole “is this AI-generated?” panic that’s been circling in digital spaces. So buckle up, I’m gonna go full nerd-out mode for a second. (ueheheeh)

First off, I want to be really clear about something:

I’m not going to comment on whether or not this person is using AI. It’s not my place, and frankly, there’s no reliable way to prove it. AI detection tools? Garbage. You can run Shakespeare or Emily Dickinson through one and it’ll tell you it was “95% AI-generated” like okay sure girl, tell that to her ghost. They struggle with nonstandard syntax, figurative language, sentence length variation—you know, all the things that make writing good.

That being said, yes, I’ve seen the comparisons. Yes, some things have felt uncanny. And no, I’m not here to accuse—but I do think it’s worth unpacking why certain works can feel eerily derivative or off in tone, and how authentic author voice is something that can’t really be faked—not by AI, not by a human, not successfully and not sustainably.

Because here’s the thing:

You can mimic the notes, but you can’t recreate the melody.

I actually talked about this with Vani yesterday—the difference between writing inspired by something and trying to simulate the internal architecture of someone else’s voice. And for anyone who’s wondering, no, my style didn’t come from thin air either😭. I think I’m heavily influenced by authors like H.D. Carlton (and I don’t mean content-wise—I mean that whole unfiltered, “nice going bitch” inner monologue thing that sounds like your own brain is narrating your downfall? Yup. Guilty). But I also read a lot. I’ve consumed hundreds of books across multiple genres and languages. It shows. It should show.

But what’s mine—what no one can copy, whether AI or person—is my actual authorial fingerprint. That’s the part that’s not just voice, but rhythm. Structure. Quirk. Obsession.

Like:

My slowburns are so drawn-out they start growing moss. That’s intentional. That’s tension. That’s craft.

My metaphors, my scent anchors, the whole aura thing in KGP that’s sometimes a bit cringe (I WAS YOUNGER. LET ME LIVE) the foreshadowing that goes back 20 chapters (YES, I really did plan that thing from chapter 5. Please ask Koops. She has suffered).

The inner monologues that spiral in this very specific way—you know the one. Where it’s like “I am an emotional disaster but also I’m hilarious and aware and self-deprecating and now I’m going to make you cry.

The way my character decisions are rooted in deep, documented psychology. I literally write trauma-informed character arcs that come from hours of academic research and behavioral theory. Ask me why someone acts a certain way and I’ll send you a thesis. I HAVE BOOOOKSSS at home and printed academic papers. I’m a huge nerd for psychological depth.

The literal strikethroughs with UNICODE and the nonsensical random thoughts I add in parenthesis with sometimes way too poor grammar.

The syntax tics—slightly off ((;´༎ຶٹ༎ຶ`)) because I’m polyglot, so sometimes my brain switches mid-sentence structure between Spanish, French, and English. I’m aware of it. It’s part of what makes my sentence formation just a little “wrong” in a right way. A kind anon once said it was “beautiful weird grammar” and I still don’t know if I should thank them or cry.

All of that? That’s not style. That’s signature. That’s how you know it’s me.

And no—no algorithm, no mimic, no person trying to pass off a lookalike will ever be able to reproduce that. Because those things are the result of my lived experience, my linguistic patterns, my thought rhythms, my emotional palette, my obsessive characterization spreadsheets, and no offense but there’s no “ChatKiki” prompt in existence that can replicate that chaos. (Yet. Please don’t try.)

Also fun fact: AI models still struggle with basic semantic memory coherence. You can ask them how many “r”s are in “strawberry” and they’ll hallucinate the answer. They have trouble with consistency across long texts. They can’t maintain internal character logic, emotional throughlines, or nuanced symbolic motifs over extended narrative arcs. You know what can do that? My obsessive brain and my hundreds of tabs open at all times.

And even if a person—human or bot—tries to copy it? It doesn’t work. Long-term. Eventually. Because you cannot mimic the why. You can replicate the what—but the heartbeat behind it? That’s mine. That’s years of growth, grief, therapy, rage, books, trauma, hope, and yes—pride!! I own the way I write because it comes from inside, not from a prompt or a pre-trained pattern.

So yeah. It might be easy to get spooked when something sounds close. But when it comes down to it—I’m still here. I’m still building.

And there’s no facsimile in the world that can hold a candle to the real thing when it’s rooted in lived voice.

[oh-to-be-a-murderer]

Hi there!!! Guess who's back!!! This is Nana's "accidental murder and don't know what to do" classes! Today is class 4!!! Omg we've come far!! Over here I teach you what to do if you fall in this situation!!

Method ❄️8❄️:

Deceive

First store the body somewhere secret, then wrote a letter using your left hand to the police/detectives/criminologist saying the body is in a certain place and keep writing these letter with fake addresses until you realise they aernt really falling for it anymore. Then go to one of the previous places you had written he address of and Bury the body there. Aince it had been checked and identified as clear ground and misleading evidence, they will most probably never look there.

Method ☕️9☕️:

Hide

Will work only if the person killed is from somewhere afar, someone who travelled there and knows no one. For this you'll need to know exactly how to identify a person from a body. You need to burn their hair, burn their finger tips and toe tips, incase of fingerprint identification. You have to completely shatter their face and private areas with a very heavy stone. Shatter their chest and knee/knee caps. Then if possible pluck their eyes out, since healthy eyes can help with identification. Then carry their body in a big bag alongside other little bags of rotten food and Bury the body.

Method 🦴10🦴:

Mislead

You'll need a damn good acting skill for this. Hide the body using one of the previous 9 methods and then try this. Leave leads to wherever you can find. A bit of blood around a place. Their torn cloths closer. A broken bit of their phone some where closer and then Leave them empty. Because your body is way far from here. Then, mislead again. Find places to leave "clues" just fake stuff. Then drop it. Months later, Leave a clue and then never return again. The thing is, your clues are much farther from your actualy body so they'll have no actual idea where the body actually is.

(All these are either taken of off reddit, true crime or movies and/or serial killer confessions!!!)

@official-buckybarnes @we-love-redwing @serenastark-official @iwasmadetobeasoldier @proud-owner-0f-americas-ass @loganschuchuzinho @themercwiththem0uth @peterparker-who @peterparker-official @hailhydrasheads

[siryouarebeingmocked]

Glass Onion (2022): Mixed company, mixed feelings

This movie is very Current Year, even though it finished shooting in 2021 and is set in May 2020. One minor joke early on; Blanc plays Among Us during lockdown, because he's so bored.

I am not making that up.

I had the same issue with the first movie. I wasn't sure what all the Topical References™ added to the movie. And I know we love to say that great art is timeless.

But as someone who actually does read a lot of old, public-domain, popular books, many  had topical social issues in them. Heck, the first Doc Thorndyke book is about fingerprinting, which was cutting edge science at the time, and even makes a self-depreciating joke about it's inspiration, Sherlock Holmes.

I've enjoyed the odd Clancy or Connelly or Cussler or Cavanaugh or Patterson thriller. And those tend to be pretty topical. (obnoxiously so, in one case) Not to mention my love of the Vorkosigan Saga, which was so progressive in the 80s it's still progressive now.

I've also seen stories that had poorly integrated topical issues and much better-handled ones in the same show. The same episode, even.

So I don't know why the political stuff in the two movies rankled. I'd say my issue is "politics I disgree with", but I just mentioned enjoying a book series which is clearly waaay to my left.

Heck, both movies are blatantly inspired by Agatha Christie, and I distinctly recall topical stuff in my mum's old copy of *Third Girl*.

Like, literally the whole plot.

I read it a long time ago, but I think I'd still enjoy it.

Other, less important criticism. And spoilers.

-Blanc intially felt like a caricature, which was very different from the way he appeared in the first movie. turns out that's deliberate. He later says he was playing up the folksy Southernness.

Even though he's an internationally famous detective who lives in a $10,000,000 Park Avenue penthouse.

Don't ask me about the high-waisted pants, the cute little scarf around his neck, or the 19th century bathing costume he wears to the pool. Apparently his style in this movie was partially Daniel Craig's idea.

Also, he's gay.

It's not made explicitly clear during the film, and the guy he's living with could be a roomie or friend or assistant, but Johnson confirmed it. I'm not sure what it adds to the film, except an explanation for the scarf.

And also some irony when Birdie flirts with him, even though he's famous and probably publicly known to be gay. Heck, just his visible discomfort in those scenes would be irony enough, whether or not he liked women.

Miles Bronn -possible shallow Elon musk parody --he’s fooling people w/ fake genius, when he's really just a charismatic idiot. And one who gets swindled, possibly. -There's one bit of irony. Early on, Miles guests on his private island get a COVID vaccine. It later turns out Miles is an idiot.

Since the movie takes place entirely in May 2020, the implication is that Miles should know it's basically impossible to develop a proper vaccine in just a few short months.

Cough.

The actual main protagonist isn't Blanc, it's Cassandra "Andi" Brand and Helen Brand. Andi is a tech genius who Miles ripped off. And also murdered. So her twin sister Helen, a teacher, steps in.

Anyone familiar with the Trojan War is probably going "hey, wait a minute..." Did I mention that this takes place on a Greek island in the Aegean Sea? Which has Troy on its borders?

And the first things we see in the film are tantalizing wooden boxes?

Helen poses as Andi with Blanc's help, so they can investigate the murder and figure out which of Miles friends, “the Disruptors”, killed Andi.

Both Brands are played by Janelle Monae. A famously left-wing singer and actress, whose biggest film role was in the movie Hidden Figures, where she played one of a team of black women in STEM forgotten by history.

And in this movie, Monae plays two hidden figures, eclipsed by white men. One maliciously, one charitably.

Birdie --Birdie is an idiotic middle-aged singer who keeps getting cancelled because she does dumb stuff. -She sexually harasses Blanc. This is possibly why Blanc's gay, to make it extra ironic. -She's introduced at a party during lockdowns. When she arrives at the island, she wears a completely decorative facemask.

-Birdie prides herself on her honesty. In this case, it means she's inconsiderate and narcissistic, with no filter. Which makes it kinda ironic (or something?) when the day is saved in the end by a combination of lies and truth.

Duke -Dave Bautista plays an alt-right mra. Supposedly.

-He supports a girlfriend and his mother, who abuses him. He's  three or four times mom's size. He goes "Mom, I told you not to interrupt when I'm recording!" and she physically slaps him. Not even any ramp-up, she just does it.

She also tries to disrupt his call with his friends by "helping" him solve Miles' puzzle box, right up until it's done, and she stops caring.

So the show decided to mock MRAs by...making one a male victim of domestic violence and emotional abuse from a woman.

And from what I saw on Youtube, plenty of people didn't notice the irony. In fact, I found an official Netflix short of the scene, and the comments were glad he was getting "put in his place" because he politely asked him mom to let him do his job.

Also, remember when I mentioned how Birdie sexually harasses Blanc?

This movie includes two examples of the exact sort of issues MRAs talk about all the time.

-I know he's supposed to be a parody, but of who, exactly? jordan peterson? andrew tate? Pewdiepie? All of the above?

I think they even got some alex jones in there when they mention how he sold pills. Specifically, "performance" pills for men, made from rhino horn.

-Duke carries a gun near his crotch at all times for most of the movie. Specifically, an underpowered Tokarev, I've read. On top of the abuse, he also self-cucks himself so his GF can try and pillow-talk Miles into supporting Duke's next endeavour.

Subtle.

And while I was looking up the gun, I found someone on /r/liberalGunOwners saying "well, maybe it's supposed to look Russian because he's pro-Putin like a lot of right-wingers?"

That's possible, but it would be a really obtuse reference in a movie chock full of really blatant references.

-Also, there's something a tad ironic about a supposedly (alt-)right influencer being a large, muscular, tattoo'd Hispanic man. Unless that's supposed to be a tan.

Claire -Claire is a left-wing, environmentally friendly politician. She wears beige, and always looks terrible (to Katheryn Hahn's frustration). She's also a hypocrite.

Some TVTropes editor: it's about progressive politicans that gradually turn conservative.

No, the message here isn't "conservatives bad". It's "hypocritical left-wing politicians are bad". And I'm not sure about the "left-wing" part.

Duke is a hypocrite because he self-cucks for advantage, and is also physically abused by his tiny little mom. Claire is just a straight up liar, as politicians often are. There's a contrast between his performative peacocking in every aspect of the way he presents himself, and Claire's beige cold mess.

I'm not kidding. That was the stated intent of her costume and makeup.

-claire calls duke an MRA. I'm not sure if the writers were wrong, Claire's wrong, or Duke actually calls himself an MRA in-universe. He's certainly a traditionalist, which MRAs usually aren't. He also wants women to get back in the kitchen, which MRAs usually don't.

And finally, there's Miles’ No 2., tech wizard Lionel, who spins Miles' straw - or napkin ideas - into gold. In fact, he spends most of the movie with a gold wishbone pin on his lapel. GEDDIT?

Duke is a right wing tradcon MRA who cares about physical appearances even though he has a bad social rep, Claire is a left-wing progressive with a terrible physical appearance and a good social rep, Birdie is an idiot who keeps saying un-PC things, and Lionel is the smart guy, who is apparently more or less apolitical.

Also, the movie has obvious inspiration from Christie's "And Then There Were None". And maybe Clue. Or Among Us.

Or all three.

[space-phonetic0]

"Commissioner Reagan?" The blond woman knocked on his door. "There's something important you should see."

"What is it detective Baker?" The commissioner beckoned her inside so she could explain herself.

"Sir, we've just received a report from the FBI. It's about your missing son Jamie. They've found him." Shock welled up inside Frank but also hope. My baby My son He's been found! Is he alright? What happened? Was he hurt?

"Where is he? Is he alright?" Frank demanded to know. "When can I see him?"

"He lives on Staten Island with his wife and infant son." Baker informs him. "This is his military and police files." She says as she hands the commissioner a stack of brown folders.

He has a wife and son! He is a cop, a marine. And in my OWN department. How could I have not realized that? Logically Frank knows that with 30,000 officers in the NYC department. The chances of meeting his boy is slim to none.

But logic often has no bearings on emotions.

“Has he been informed about this?” Frank asked.

“Not yet. He’s still on tour. He’ll be getting off at 10am.” Baker replied. “The midnight shift, a rookies lot.” Frank said more to himself than anyone.

“Where exactly does he live? I want to tell him myself if that’s possible.” Frank questioned. Eager to get there first and to comfort his son after the shocking knowledge is revealed.

“504 East avenue George county.” She informed him.

—————————————————————————

Frank was examining the house as his SUV slowed to a stop at the curb. It was shortly after 10:30am so his boy should have just gotten home. Excitement and fear flowed through him. He was excited to finally see his son after so many years of not knowing what had happened to him. And fear because he was afraid of his boys reaction. Would he accept me? Would he want to build the close relationship he would have had with Frank if he had not been stolen from them?

“Commissioner?” Baker gently put a hand on his shoulder. Bringing him back to reality. “He’s on his front porch.” Nodding her head in the direction to Franks left.

Turning his head he observed a young man who looked so much like Joe it took his breath away.

The young man was standing on his front porch. Confusion evident on his face. He must wonder what the police commissioner was doing parked outside his house.

Frank stepped out of his SUV. And held himself back from running to his missing son. Instead he briskly walks up to him.

“Hello.” Emotion nearly choking his voice. “Hello.” His boy, his grown son awkwardly spoke back. "So you're the police commissioner?" Jamie asked the question he already knew the answer to.

"Yes." He confirmed. "There's something I need to tell you." Uncertain how to start the conversation he pulls out a cigar asking if Jamie minds first. When he receives the answer no, he lights up. And takes a long draw of the nicotine. Exhaling. Frank says " You're my son. You were kidnapped as a baby. Your documents are fake and your fingerprints match my Jamie." Words rushing out.

" I'm not surprised." Upon seeing the look on Franks face. Jamie clarifies. " I found something in my par, the people who I thought was my parents house. And our blood types are incompatible."

“I’m glad to finally meet you.” Jamie speaks breaking the stunned silence. “Me too.” Frank gently grabs Jaime and pulls him into a bear hug. Both men cling to each other as they begin to cry tears of joy.

[surging-eyes-seeing-through]

(Same anon talking about Apollo’s Motive.)

Ooc: I searched the transcript for the case and found this:

————————

Phoenix:

(Are they really Athena's fingerprints? They definitely matched her print data... Hmm... But what about the data itself...?) Detective Fulbright, you were the one who provided us with the lighter and print data... ...isn't that correct?

Fulbright:

............Yes. What about it?

Phoenix:

You say Ms. Cykes's prints matched the print data... ...but I have to wonder, was the data you used official?

Judge:

M-Mr. Wright! Are you suggesting that the evidence might have been fabricated?!

Phoenix:

I guess there's only one way to find out. Let's re-examine the prints... ...using the official, sanctioned print data of the people involved in this case.

Fulbright:

What?! You dare insult the epitome of justice and integrity?! There's no need for such antics!

—————————

Which too me makes it pretty clear that the Phantom didn’t fake the actual prints, but used intentionally faulty print data to frame Athena.

// COOL ok, I definitely didn't put much effort into looking (hence why i noted i only briefly looked). I do have the transcripts downloaded, but, uh... it's the japanese version. and i'm not exactly fluent, so. not very useful

His motive's really obscured, then, isn't it? I doubt fakebright would've kept the fake fingerprint data around after the trial, since it'd lead to him in some way, so... yeah.

[josecurrie]

How safe is it to use Cash App?

Cash App is generally considered safe, but like any financial platform, it has certain risks that users should be aware of. Here are some points to keep in mind regarding its safety:

Encryption and Security Features

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Common Scams

Phishing Scams: Scammers may try to trick users into giving away personal information or Cash App login details. Always avoid sharing your Cash App PIN or other credentials.

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Fake Cash Giveaways: Be cautious of offers promising free money in exchange for small payments upfront, as these are often scams.

Sending and Receiving Money

No Buyer Protection: Unlike some other platforms, Cash App does not offer buyer protection for purchases. If you’re sending money to someone you don’t know or for a transaction, there’s a higher risk.

Instant Transfers: Transfers are fast, but once sent, they are difficult to reverse. Always double-check the recipient’s details before sending money.

How to Stay Safe

Enable Security Features: Use Cash App’s additional security options, like PIN entry or fingerprint verification.

Be Aware of Scams: Be cautious of unsolicited requests for money or promises of cash giveaways.

Only Use Trusted Contacts: Try to use the app mainly for people you trust, such as friends or family.

Cash App is secure for day-to-day transactions if you follow good security practices. However, it’s crucial to be vigilant about scams, as it lacks purchase protection.

Do I need a bank account for Cash App?

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Direct deposit for receiving paychecks or tax returns.

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Higher limits for transactions.

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Can issue refunds to customers.

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[theriveroflight]

hoping for a last-minute miracle

This year, I participated in @fyeahghosttrick's Ghost Swap! I wrote for @laughingmango, and used the following prompt: "Any sort of what-if with the detectives". Technically also sort of falls into the prompt with Cabanela/Jowd h/c, but this is (mostly) gen with hints of subtext.

Rating: T (very light cursing; death/violence)

Word Count: 8504 (whoa!)

Summary:

The evidence is getting filed away tomorrow. After tonight...no more second chances. The force is giving up on Alma, and they'll have to give up too.

(AU: Alma's death has been a cold case for the last five years. Cabanela and Jowd, in charge of the Special Investigations Unit together, have one more night to solve the case before the evidence is filed away and it sinks to the bottom of priorities along with every other cold case...)

Read on AO3

Tonight is the last night they have to get any more information on Alma’s case. Cabanela thumbs open the file again. A locked-room murder. There had been a gun hanging on the wall that had gone off, somehow. There were no fingerprints on the gun. The ballistics matched the gun perfectly.

Jowd said that it wasn’t usually loaded. If Alma needed to use it, she could load it herself.

“Cabanela?” Jowd asks, voice rumbling. “Do you think it’s hopeless?”

“I don’t know,” he answers. “It’s not that simple, baby. These cases…they might not even be connected.”

“When the first case happened with the rocker…I thought…” Jowd sighs. “I thought there might have been hope. That we could find some answers.”

“There’s still something I want to investigate,” Cabanela says. “There’s a meeting going down tonight with a man that we both thought was dead.” He grabs a different file and slides it over to Jowd. “I’ve already dispatched some of the force to keep an eye on it.”

“...the Chicken Kitchen?” Jowd asks, looking over the file. “Who’d you send?”

“Detective Memry was planted undercover. Rindge is supposed to keep an eye on things from the outside. Iiiiiiiii like to think it’ll go well.”

“Lynne said she couldn’t be here tonight.” Jowd frowns. “She took the night off. Said she was meeting someone.”

“And just wheeeeere did that meeting happen to be?”

“She never said.” Jowd looks back up. “I’m worried about her, Cabanela. You know she’s never been the best at controlling her impulses. I could blame that one on you.”

“Oh, come on, baby, you were the one that was gonna turn himself in for a murder he didn’t commit.” Cabanela leans back in his chair. “Youuuuu just might be the impulsive one.”

“Well, I never,” Jowd answers, a smile on his face. Cabanela smiles in return — at least he’s managed to get a smile on his partner’s face. They’ve been few and far between since the events of five years ago — Jowd’s dedicated himself to investigating Alma’s death with the rigor of a swordsman.

“Inspector Cabanela?”

It’s the chief on the radio. What could he want with them?

“Chief, what’s wrong?”

“Case at the junkyard,” he answers. “Want you to supervise them.”

“Who’s on the team?” Jowd asks.

“I’ll go, baby,” Cabanela says. He shuts off the radio. “Keep an eye on things at Point X for me, yeah?”

“I will.” Jowd looks at him in a softly familiar way.

Yomiel. The body is undoubtedly his, just as much as the coroner is undoubtedly a fake. Cabanela can tell just by looking. The way people act portrays just who they are — he mostly applies that to himself, but that applies to other people too.

“Inspector!” Both detectives salute him when he gets downstairs. The coroner just keeps working. Yet another sign that something is amiss.

“Evening, boooys,” he says, shooting them a disarming smile. “Hoooow’s it hangin’?”

The two look at each other, mildly disconcerted. 

“Allow me to report, sir!” McCaw’s partner says. “We’ve brought a suspect into custody. She’s being held upstairs in the super’s office!”

“Good, gooooood,” Cabanela responds. “I’ll be right there. And just where is there?”

“Upstairs, sir,” McCaw answers. “Just past where you put your bike.”

“Thaaaaank you,” he answers. “I’ll just be heading on up there for an interview now. See you later, baby!” He prances back up the stairs and over towards the office. He’s been here before. Many a time, actually. Prof’s been a real help over these last few years. But nobody really knows about that.

But the person he sees when he gets up there surprises him.

“Lynne.” He looks at the patrolman keeping an eye on her. “Do me a soliiiiid, would you?”

The patrolman salutes. “Yessir!”

“Inspector Cabanela! I thought…I thought tonight was important.”

“Still got time to see you, baby,” he says. “Jowd’s on it. And you’re more important right now in this crisis.”

Lynne looks down. It pains him to see her distraught. She straightens up. “Wait. You said…crisis? Does that mean…I never even met that guy before tonight! I didn’t kill him!”

Hmm. So it sounds like Lynne doesn’t remember what Yomiel looks like, at least — it happened when she was young, at least, and the memory is probably hazy from how traumatic it must have been for her.

“Never? Then how’d you end up here, baby?”

“Well, uh, before tonight, that is…” Lynne raises a hand to the back of her neck sheepishly. “He reached out to me first, actually. He said that he had some important information about a case I’ve been working on.”

“Hmm…” Cabanela strokes his goatee. “Iiiii don’t believe your precinct assigned you to any big cases. Funny, isn’t it?”

“Huh?!” Lynne asks.

If he had to guess…she’s probably doing the same thing he and Jowd are. Trying to close a case that’s been open for far too long. Trying to heal Kamila’s heart.

Tonight is the last night. It only stands to reason that she’d be desperate.

“Don’t worry, baby. I don’t think you did it. I’m just tryna clear things up a little.” He smiles. It’s not as effective on her, since she knows him better, but it still works. “You’re not the type to shoot like that. And if anything ever happened to you…”

“Yeah,” Lynne says. “Yeah.” She swallows. “Inspector Cabanela…I have one question for you.”

“Go ahead, baby,” he says.

“Tonight is the night, right? That it…”

“I have noooo idea what you— Get down!” He shoves her out of the way as a bullet crashes through the window.

-

“Ngh.” What’s going on? Where is he? What…happened? “Lynne!”

“You’re awake,” a voice he doesn’t recognize says. “Great.”

“What’s…who am I?”

“You’re in the land of the dead,” the voice answers.

Cabanela — so that’s his name — opens his eyes.

“The…land of the dead?” he asks, right before he takes in who the voice belongs to. “You!”

“Huh?” the man who looks like Yomiel asks. Land of the dead…it would make sense. Yomiel is dead, after all. “I’m Sissel. And you’re Inspector Cabanela, I believe.”

“Thaaaaat’s right,” Cabanela answers. Sissel. That’s a name that pings some kind of recognition in him, but…he doesn’t know exactly where he’s heard it before. “So…I take it that I died, then?”

“You’re in the Ghost World,” ‘Sissel’ explains.

“I can’t be dead. Not tonight.”

“Someone told me that something very important was happening tonight,” Sissel continues. “If I had to guess, I’d say you were an important part of it. But…I can bring you back. Learn what happened to you.”

“Iiiiiii’m not sure who you think you are, but I don’t think anyone has that power,” Cabanela says.

“Let me show you, then,” Sissel says.

Cabanela’s death plays out in front of him — from the walk up the stairs to his conversation with Lynne.

“So that’s it, then?” Cabanela asks. “How are you gonna stop it?”

“That’s up to me,” Sissel answers. “I’ll do my best to stop whoever’s shooting you. I’ve already saved other lives before.”

“It’s in your hands now, baby. Nothin’ much I can do to stop it.” Cabanela leans back.

Sissel hums and gets to work. What that work is, Cabanela doesn’t quite understand at first. But then Sissel does…something to the van door and it opens.

A trick. Something that could happen in a locked room. Something that could happen…without a person there to witness it or to explain just what had happened.

Could this have happened to Alma?

Sissel drops some crates on top of the would-be assassin’s head. “And there we go.”

“Thank you,” Cabanela says. “You’ve helped more than you know.”

“Of course,” Sissel says. “Do you…know anything? About me?”

“Whyyyyyy do you ask?”

Sissel sighs. “Figured it was worth a shot, at least. It looks like you don’t have the answers I’m looking for, though. Let’s get back to the present now, shall we?”

Cabanela nods.

-

“It’s the night that her case gets filed away. Forever.” Lynne grips her arm and looks away. “Inspector Cabanela, I know you know what I’m talking about.”

“Well, Iiiiiii’m certainly not at liberty to tell you about it, baby,” Cabanela says. He needs to talk to Jowd as soon as possible — he needs to tell Jowd what he’s just learned. What the key is. “I gotta go now, baby. Get some sleep, would you?”

Lynne rolls her eyes. “You worry too much, Inspector.”

“I thiiiiiink in our line of work, it’s justified.” Cabanela turns towards the door. “I’ll just be going now. I’ll be sending that patrolman riiiiiiight back in, so don’t try to escape now, would you?”

“I won’t!” Lynne says.

-

Back to the precinct.

“Heeeyyyyy, Jowd,” Cabanela says. “Heard anything from Rindge?”

“I checked in with him,” Jowd responds. “He just arrived at the park. He’s keeping a lookout on things now.” His face twists. “At first when I called, someone else responded. He called himself…the guardian of the park?”

“Iiiiiiiinteresting,” Cabanela says. “They’ve got Lynne held up in the super’s office. They think she did it, baby.”

“Lynne?” Jowd asks. “Who…what was going on?”

“I don’t know,” Cabanela answers quietly. “The body…it was Yomiel.”

“Yomiel?” Jowd says suddenly. “No…there’s no way.”

“That’s what I thought,” Cabanela says. “Buuuuuut I have no idea who else it could be. It was…he was wearing the same suit still. Same hair. It’s like the past ten years never happened. Lynne didn’t remember him, though.”

Jowd frowns. “I can see why she doesn’t. It must have been difficult for her. But I could never forget what his face looked like.”

“Me neither.” Cabanela places a hand on his partner’s shoulder. “Iiiiii’m not sure what to do, but we’ll figure this out. I know it.” He smiles. “You and me, baby. Together we’re unstoppable.”

Jowd nods. “Indeed.”

“Iiiiiii’m gonna head down to the chief’s office now,” Cabanela says. “I think heeeee might know something about Lynne’s case.”

“Alright. If it’s really Yomiel, then…”

Cabanela nods. “Lotta things going down in this town tonight, baby. It’s up to us to unravel this.”

“And Alma…” Jowd sighs. “I hope we can put her to rest tonight.”

Cabanela takes a deep breath. “I hope so too.”

“This…with Yomiel…it can’t be a coincidence with what happened ten years ago. There’s just something we’re missing.” Jowd sighs. “I don’t know what the connection could be…or if there even is one. Maybe we’re just chasing ghosts.”

Ghosts. The man that had called himself Sissel.

Would Jowd even believe him?

“Speaking of, actually,” Cabanela says, “there’s juuuuuust one more thing I have to tell you. There’s another player out there tonight. He saved my life. And he looked just like Yomiel.”

“...how?” Jowd asks.

“Took out an assassin. Called himself…Sissel. Strangest thing was, I think he miiiiiight be a ghost.”

“A ghost.” Jowd crosses his arms. “I don’t want to say you’ve lost your touch, but…”

“I’m not quite sure either,” Cabanela admits. “Buuuuuuut I’m keeping it in mind. For when I find out.”

Jowd nods. “Alright.”

Cabanela wonders if Jowd picked up what he was trying to say. That it could have been…that it could have been what happened to Alma.

-

“The super sent us the security footage,” Chief says. Cabanela can hear the almost imperceptible sound of him rubbing his feet together under the desk and fights the urge not to wrinkle his nose in disgust. “I hate to say it, Inspector, but it looks like your protégé is in real trouble.”

“Just show it to me, would you?” Cabanela winks and takes a position to watch as the projector springs downwards. It shows the edge of the junkyard near the fence. He watches Yomiel as he stands in front of Lynne. Yomiel? Maybe it is Sissel. Maybe Yomiel got himself a copycat, ten years later.

The man in the red suit flops back against the fencepost as Lynne takes out her pistol. She fires two shots, looking for all the world like she’s struggling. The first hits the man’s box. The second hits the man. The man flops forwards to the ground as Lynne puts her gun back.

“That’s not where the body was found,” Cabanela points out. He grabs the remote and fast-forwards the footage.

Huh. A black cat in the box knocked down the body. Odd.

“I don’t know what’s going on, Inspector, but…this looks like a case for the Special Investigations Unit.” The chief frowns. “He looks an awful lot like that suspect from all those years ago.”

“You’re right.” Cabanela frowns. “Yomiel…I didn’t think I’d ever see that face again. But to think that maybe…”

“What are you thinking, Inspector?” the chief asks.

“Oh, don’t worry, Chief,” Cabanela says. “I’m sure it’ll be alright, as long as I’m on the case.”

“Still keeping an eye on Point X?”

“Of cooooooourse,” he answers. “I’ve got some officers I trust keeping a lookout on the scene. And Jowd’s got an eye on them, too.” He’d trust Jowd with his life.

“I always wondered…” The chief trails off, and then straightens himself back up a little bit. “I always wondered how you were always so sure that Jowd didn’t do it.”

“I trust him,” Cabanela answers. “If he says he didn’t do it, he didn’t do it. Plain and simple, baby. Just the way he’s always liked it.”

“I suppose that’s true.” The chief sighs. “Still, I have to wonder after all these years…he could’ve been letting the case grow cold for his own sake.”

Well, Cabanela knows that’s…true. At least a little bit true. Jowd’s not doing it for himself, though. He’s got his little girl at home to look after. Kamila…Cabanela hopes she’s safe at home, and not doing anything else besides reading her book and listening to her music.

“Jowd’s not like that. Trust me,” Cabanela says. “I wouldn’t have kept him so long as my partner if I didn’t.”

They have to stop this. It’s simple enough.

“Chief,” he continues, “I’m heading back to the scene of the murder. Lynne should still be there. I’ll take her back to the precinct. Didn’t get the chance earlier.”

The chief nods. “Alright, Inspector.”

Cabanela heads out and bikes back to the junkyard.

But when he gets back to the office, it’s…empty. Or at least the person he’s looking for isn’t here.

“Where’d Lynne go?” Cabanela asks the nearest patrolman.

“I don’t know!” he answers, putting his hands up. “You left, called me back in, and she was already gone!”

Ah.

Cabanela sits down at the super’s desk. “Heeeeeey, chief. I need a favor. Put out an APB on Lynne for me, wouldya?”

“Got a runner on our hands?”

“Indeeeeeed. Now, I don’t like what’s happened, but that doesn’t change that she’s pretty heavily involved in what’s gone down here. And since she ran, it means she has something she wants to hide from me.”

“I’ll do that right away, then,” the chief answers. “Thank you, Inspector.”

“Don’t thank me yet, baby. I’ve stiiiiiiiill got work to do.” Cabanela sets down the phone. And then it starts ringing again.

“Chief told me you were here,” Jowd says, his low timbre vibrating over the line. “I just thought I should inform you that they’ve found Lynne. She’s at Point X.”

“What? Why is she at Point X?” Cabanela demands.

“Dunno. Detective Rindge just informed me.” Jowd sighs. “Do you think that maybe she got in over her head? That she was the one who scheduled the meeting because she was looking for answers?”

“Could be anything,” Cabanela answers. “I’m not sure exactly what she’s been up to tonight. But she told me something iiiiiiiinteresting earlier.”

“What���d she say?”

“She said that tonight was the night that her case was being filed. And she asked me to tell her about Alma.”

“I…” Jowd trails off. “That’s concerning. But I don’t think Lynne has the resources to arrange that sort of meeting.”

“That’s true,” Cabanela admits. “She told me when I asked her that Yomiel had asked her to meet. I’m not sure she was exactly…looking before now. When the opportunity strikes, you’ve got to take it.”

“Like tonight, then?” Jowd asks. “Rindge was heading in, last I heard. He should be talking to Lynne.”

“Thaaaaanks.” Cabanela sighs. “Keep me updated, will you?”

“Of course,” Jowd answers. “I wouldn’t leave my partner in the dark.”

-

Cabanela heads down to the basement.

“Heeeeeey, Prof,” he says as he hops down the stairs. “Get a good look at that body yet?”

“We already knew it was Yomiel,” he answers. Lovey-Dove coos atop his head. “Can’t conduct a proper autopsy, though. Could run some other tests…”

“Why nooooot?”

“Take a look for yourself,” he answers. Cabanela approaches the table. The man attempts to make an incision. The incision instantly heals. “I suspect the healing factor is the Temsik shard lodged in him.”

“Faaaaascinating.” Cabanela looks over the body.

“It’s a corpse, to put it shortly — he’s not truly alive. Somehow or another…he’s inhabiting his own body.” Lovey-Dove coos, as if to punctuate that ominous remark.

“I learned earlier tonight that ghosts are real,” Cabanela says. “That could be it. I just still don’t understand how.”

“Hmm.” He runs a scanner over the body. “Same radiation as the park, though. You’ve got eyes on that?”

“Yeah,” Cabanela answers. “Rindge was put there for the stakeout. We’re fiiiiiiiiine. Everything’s under control.”

That’s when the phone rings.

“Cabanela? Are you there?” Jowd asks, sounding more panicked now.

“What’s wrong?” he demands.

“It’s Kamila.” Cabanela could swear that his heart stops beating for a moment. “They’ve kidnapped her.”

“What?!”

“The demand is my life,” Jowd says. “They want me to surrender myself for her.”

“No,” Cabanela says.

“I have two hours to respond before they kill her,” Jowd says. “I know you can take care of her. You’ve been helping me out for years. I know you can do this, Cabanela.”

“You said two hours, right?” Cabanela says. “I’m going to figure out how she was kidnapped and rescue her before it’s too late.”

“It’d take a miracle to pull that off,” Jowd says.

“And if anyone’s in the business of miracles, it’s me, baby,” he answers. “I’ll find Kamila. Mark my words.”

“Good luck,” Jowd answers.

Cabanela puts down the receiver. “I’m afraid I have other business to attend to, Prof. Catch you later!”

He just nods in response. Lovey-Dove nods alongside him.

Cabanela walks up the stairs and hops on his bike. Time to go. Where could the kidnappers have taken them?

Maybe he’ll start by checking in on Point X. Lynne’s probably left at this point, but Memry and Rindge will still be there.

-

Cabanela sits down at a booth in the Chicken Kitchen and rings the bell three times.

“Memry,” he remarks. “Sit down. Did anyone come in tonight that was suspicious?”

“Besides that other detective?” Memry remarks. “And I’m not supposed to sit.”

Cabanela waves his hand. “Don’t wooooooorry about losin’ your job. It’s not like you’re gonna be here after tonight, baby.”

Memry sighs. “Don’t remind me! I loved the extra pay. Both from here and from the boss. I was making so much moolah it was worth all the crap I get being a waitress.”

Cabanela raises an eyebrow. Then again, she is on the job while she’s here, so she should be getting paid as a detective and as a waitress. Not that waitressing pays well, but depending on the tips she’s getting…he supposes he could understand why she’d want to stay longer in her position.

“Actually, there were a couple people upstairs earlier,” she says. “I tried to plant a bug on them, but Rindge told me that it didn’t work and all he was getting was the chef, for whatever reason. Could’ve sworn I put it on the chicken I was getting to them, but…I guess I’ll never find out what was in that giant suitcase they had. Seemed pretty heavy, too. The guy was having trouble carrying it. I bet that woman he was with could’ve carried it no problem, though. She was pretty strong, if you catch my drift.”

Cabanela rolls his eyes. “And where did they go after that?”

“Not sure,” Memry answers. “But whoever they were waiting for didn’t show up.”

“Iiiiiiiinteresting,” he says. “What’d they look like?”

“The guy was wearing a hat, and he was always a little hunched over. The woman was taller than him, even without her heels. She had a really wild hairstyle, though. Blonde hair, all around her in a spiral. Kinda wish my hair were long enough to do that, but then again, I don’t want to have to deal with it when it gets that long.”

“Detective,” he says, “do you have aaaaaaany idea where they went?”

“Nope! I wish I could tell ya. They left on a motorcycle, I think. Rindge might have the plate number. I heard he was lonely in that park…”

“They might come back,” Cabanela says. “Stay here until the restaurant closes, yeah? After that, you can hang out with him aaaaaaaall you want.”

“Fine, fine.” She rolls her eyes. “Wouldn’t want to get written up tonight.”

Cabanela leaves the restaurant and rides over to the park.

“Stop the park from being turned into a housing site!” a young man says, waving around leaflets. “Protect Temsik, rock of the gods!”

Cabanela grabs a leaflet just to placate him, and then jaunts on towards where Rindge is looking out over the edge, in the direction of the Chicken Kitchen.

“Inspector Cabanela!” Rindge says, straightening up suddenly. “Sir!”

“Relaaaaaaax,” Cabanela says, leaning up against the railing. “I’m just here to ask you something, baby. Did you spot a couple carrying a large suitcase? Memry in there seems to think youuuuuu might have a plate number for me.”

“I saw them leaving on a motorcycle,” Rindge answers, as impassive as ever. “I couldn’t see the plate number, though. Too small. They were heading east, though.”

“Thaaaaaank you,” Cabanela responds. “East it is, then!”

East. What was in that direction? Where would make for a good hideout for a couple criminals?

Oh.

Jowd and Kamila had moved out of their old house a few months after Alma’s death due to the fact that Jowd hadn’t wanted Kamila to stick around there so long afterwards. The house had become derelict since, and known as something that only teenagers occasionally looked through for kicks, to see if the house was haunted. It’d make the perfect place for something like this.

Cabanela gets on his bike and rides over there. There are some candles lit in the front room. He sneaks his way in instead of announcing his presence just to find that there’s a man sleeping hunched over that matches Memry’s vague descriptions…and Amelie, the Justice Minister’s daughter. What is she doing here?

(At least it’s not Kamila.)

“Hello, Inspector.”

He nearly jumps out of his skin at the sound of that somewhat familiar voice.

“Sissel,” he manages to respond, “whaaaaaat are you doing here?”

“I was listening in on their conversation,” Sissel answers, raising one arm to shrug. “Couldn’t let the little lady stay kidnapped. Though I didn’t realize she was…”

“That’s not Kamila,” Cabanela says.

“I know that,” Sissel answers. “They got the wrong girl. She’s sick, though. I feel bad for her. Managed to get her free, but…not sure how to get her out. Get her out of here before the lady comes back, okay? I should go.”

Cabanela nods. “Alright. I’ll get her back to her family. I’m sure they’re worried about her. Sissel…”

“Do you need a favor from me?” he asks. “I’m already helping Lynne, so my plate is pretty full, but…”

“Make sure she gets through this night,” Cabanela says. “But I think you’re already doin’ that. So just keep on keeping on, yeah?”

Sissel smiles, the genuine happiness looking strange with the face he wears. “That won’t be a problem, Inspector.”

Cabanela snaps back into the real world and picks Amelie up.

The man straightens up. Cabanela freezes.

“Just my imagination…” He falls back asleep.

Amelie sniffles. Cabanela takes them both outside before setting her down.

“Heeeeeey,” he says, kneeling down to meet her at her own level. “How are you doin’?”

She sniffles again, and then sneezes. “I wanna go home. You’re a police officer, right? Can you take me home?”

“Yeah, baby, yeah,” he says. “I can get you home.”

“Okay,” Amelie answers. She wipes her nose on her sleeve. “Mommy and Daddy both said that I shouldn’t go out, since I’m sick like this, but I had to get something for Daddy.” There’s a lighter hidden up the sleeve of her nightgown. “Tonight is his birthday, but Mommy forgot, since she’s trying to finish her book tonight.”

“I’ll make sure it gets to him,” Cabanela says. He grabs his bike and places her on the seat, and then grabs the handlebars, letting her grab onto him. He wheels the bike towards her house. “And you, too.”

“Stop right there.”

Cabanela reaches into his jacket for his gun. The woman has long blonde hair, falling around her in rings. Just like Memry described. She has a riding crop, too.

He grabs his badge first. “Inspector Cabanela, Special Investigations Unit. You’re under arrest for kidnapping.” He then reaches for his handcuffs.

“Hmph.” She strikes him. He flinches, puts down the kickstand so Amelie doesn’t fall, and advances on her, cuffing her to a nearby pole.

He flips the kickstand back up and keeps walking Amelie towards the street corner.

“Heyyy, Jowd, I got some gooooood news, baby.”

“Really?” Jowd asks, voice sounding rushed. “What is it?”

“Iiiiiii found her!” Cabanela answers. “Wasn’t Kamila that was kidnapped, though.”

“It wasn’t?”

“As far as Iiiiii know, Kamila’s still at Lynne’s place,” he says. “Say hi, Amelie.” He offers the receiver over to her.

“Um. Hi?” She coughs a couple times.

“Thaaaaanks.”

“Is that the justice minister’s daughter?” Jowd asks.

“That it is,” Cabanela answers. “I’ll be getting her home now, and then I’m headin’ over to Lynne’s apartment to check on Kamila.”

“Thank you,” Jowd answers, voice rumbling. “I’m…I’m not happy that someone else was kidnapped, but I’m glad Kamila’s safe.”

“That’s juuuuuuust fine,” Cabanela answers. “Understandable, even.”

He still remembers the pang of relief that he had felt when it hadn’t been Kamila in there. When he had seen Amelie, sniffling and sneezing instead.

“Then I suppose I’ve got to focus on the case,” Jowd says.

“We can focus on the case when I get back, baby,” Cabanela answers. “I’ll see you soon.”

Jowd hangs up. He’s always been a concise man — that’s one of the things that had made them fit so well together.

“Who was that? And who’s Kamila?” Amelie asks.

“Thaaaaat was my partner in the force,” Cabanela answers. “He’s Kamila’s father. And Kamila’s who we thought got kidnapped, not you.”

“Oh! So you two are her dads?” she asks.

Cabanela very nearly stops in his tracks. “Who, me? I’m noooooot her dad. Nosiree.”

“But you said that you were partners?”

“Detective partners, not like that,” Cabanela answers. “Which way was your house?”

“Ummmmmmm.” She deliberates on that for a little bit. “I think it’s that way?” She points to the west. Fair enough.

-

“We’re here!” Amelie lets go and hops off the bike. “Thanks, Inspector!” She waves as she walks into the house, sneezing one more time for good measure.

He hopes she’ll be okay. Can’t be easy to get kidnapped while sick.

He hops on his bike and rides back to the precinct. Time for him to touch base with Jowd.

That’s when the car hits him.

-

“Seems like you and Lynne are competing to see who can die the most tonight,” Yo—Sissel says. He doesn’t sound like Yomiel, at least — but the face being the same still throws Cabanela off when he’s not anticipating it.

“Is Lynne okay?” Cabanela asks.

“She’s fine,” Sissel answers. “But you’re not.”

“Iiiiiii got hit by a car,” Cabanela says. “What can you do to prevent that?” 

“You’d be surprised,” Sissel answers. “Four minutes is a long time to change things.”

Cabanela just lets Sissel do his thing. As they watch…

Ah. Yomiel was driving the car that hit him. So it was probably intentional. Dammit.

“Who…is that?” Sissel asks. “And why does he have my face?”

Cabanela just sighs. “Iiiiiii’m not sure,” he answers.

“Let’s see what I can do,” Sissel says. “We might have to…get creative.”

“Well, a little creativity never hurt anything,” Cabanela answers, flashing a smile at Sissel. “You’ve gooooot this!”

“Thanks,” Sissel says, a little sheepish.

They start on the road, in front of where he died. Sissel takes him over on a leaf that drifts over, and eventually they manage to come down on top of the car. Yomiel has been…outside Jowd and Kamila’s house. What’s he waiting for?

And then the phone rings.

“Hello?” Yomiel snaps.

“Beauty’s gone! And the kid!” the man says on the other end of the line. That’s the man Cabanela had seen inside — the one that had been napping when he took Amelie back home. “Beauty was supposed to be back a while ago, ya see…”

Yomiel sighs, clearly annoyed. “I’m keeping an eye on the kid’s house. I haven’t seen her or her father all night. I don’t have time for your wild goose chases. You can live without your partner, can’t you?”

The man visibly shrinks. “Beauty’s my everything!”

“I’ll be coming to you,” Yomiel says. “I’m on my way now. You better not screw this up.”

Sissel jumps over to the car and triggers the lock.

Yomiel jiggles the door. “I don’t remember locking this…” He pulls out the keys.

“Looks like we didn’t buy ourselves that much time,” Cabanela says.

“No, but it’s still a little more time for you to get across that road safely,” Sissel says.

Yomiel finally gets the key and unlocks the car.

“Now what can we do?” Sissel asks.

“Do you…not know how a car works?” Cabanela asks.

“I barely remember what a car is!” Sissel responds.

“What?!”

“I’ve been trying to find my identity,” Sissel says. He looks over at Yomiel. “He probably has the key to all that. I don’t know why he’s just like me, but…that’s what I’ve been trying to do tonight.”

“A noble quest indeed!” Cabanela says.

“Do…you know anything?”

“I don’t think now’s the best time to talk about this,” he answers.

“After I save you,” Sissel says. “How do I operate this?” The gear shift.

“Not while the car is moving!” Cabanela says. “Are you crazy? You’re going to get him killed!”

Sissel attempts to move it. “It’s not moving anyway.” He looks around a little more, and swivels the mirror.

The world turns blue in front of them.

“Now then,” Yomiel says, focusing directly on Sissel, “I knew there was another ghost around town tonight, but…I didn’t think it’d be me of all people that was going around and stopping things from happening the way they’re supposed to. Not sure why you’ve got my face, but…things will still go down the way they’re meant to. However you’re trying to stop me…it won’t work. I will wipe out the last traces of Temsik before this night is over — and that will include you.”

Sissel sucks in a sharp breath.

The car speeds up. Cabanela, still alive, stops just before crossing the road instead of going.

The world turns red again.

“I don’t think that was how we were supposed to pull that off,” Sissel admits.

“Hey, I’m alive, aren’t I?” Cabanela asks. “I guess he’ll make it to his destination this time, baby. What’d you say last time? Go back to the new present?”

“Yes,” Sissel answers. “But…before I return you, I have to ask: did you know that man?”

“I did,” Cabanela answers. “He was shot earlier tonight. And I suspect his involvement in some other incidents. Especially after what I witnessed just now…”

“But me?”

“His name wasn’t Sissel,” Cabanela says. “Good luck figuring it out.”

Sissel looks down, but when Cabanela’s next aware, he’s back on his bike. He looks both ways before crossing this time, and makes it across without getting hit by any surprise cars.

-

“Kamila?” he asks. Missile barks when he walks in and runs around his feet.

She sets down her book. “Hey!” she answers. “Missile, could you please quiet down?”

Cabanela squats down and pets Missile.

“The neighbor said she’d try to knock the wall down if she heard Missile barking too much again,” Kamila says, sounding apologetic.

“You’re okay, right?”

“Of course I am!” she answers. “Tonight’s been…good, though I am a little sad that Lynne can’t hang out with me. She said that she’d be busy tonight.”

“And why’d she say that, baby?” Cabanela knows that if Lynne had really intended to stay out the entire night she would have probably told Kamila to stay home.

“I…don’t know, actually.” Kamila frowns. “Why are you here?”

“Your dad was worried about you. Iiiiiiii told him you were fine, but he wanted me to check up on you, juuuuuuust in case something bad happened.”

“Phone’s broken,” Kamila says casually. “I accidentally dropped the receiver earlier.”

“Huh.” Cabanela looks down at the phone. “Well then, Iiiiiii suppose we’ll have to find some other way to talk to your dad. I’ll go ask next door, yeah?”

“Okay,” Kamila says.

Cabanela hops over towards the apartment next door. “Hellooooooo,” he says when the door opens to him.

“And just what brings…a police officer to interrupt me on the holiest of nights?”

Great. It’s the Justice Minister’s wife. What was her name again…?

“My sinceeeeerest apologies, madame,” he says, bowing. “Iiiiiiii just need to borrow your phone for a moment. Could I?” He flashes his most charming smile at her.

“Well,” she says, “who am I to say no to a man like you?” She arches an eyebrow. “Phone’s over by the bed.”

“I’ll be quick, I promise,” he says. He saunters over the phone.

“Cabanela?” Jowd asks. “You were right about the ghosts.”

“That’s one hell of an opener, baby,” Cabanela says. “Buuuuuut I was going to tell you something first. Kamila’s just fine. I just checked up on her.”

“That’s good,” Jowd says. “But…you said a ghost might have caused Alma’s death. I just spoke to one earlier.”

“Greaaaaat,” Cabanela says. “You can tell me all about it later, baby. But I am currently borrowing this phone, so Iiiiiiiiii should probably be getting off.”

“That you should,” Jowd says, a tinge of warmth in his voice. “I’ll see you back at the station, Cabanela.”

He hangs up the phone.

“Thanks again,” he says, firing off a salute towards her. She’s too engrossed in her work to look up, pecking away at the keys one at a time. It strikes him as an awfully inefficient way to type, but then again, what does he know?

-

“You met Sissel?” Cabanela asks when he gets back to the station.

“Yes,” Jowd answers. “The only issue is…how can we prove it? How can we prove that it was a ghost?”

“I don’t know,” Cabanela answers. “I don’t have all the answers, baby. But whatever’s out there tonight is trying to get rid of everything Temsik.”

“Temsik, huh?” Jowd asks. “It’s always going to come back to that day.”

Cabanela puts a hand on his partner’s shoulder. “You’re not a bad person. I know it.”

Jowd frowns. “I could’ve killed him. I might have, even. I’m not like you.” He plucks a speck of dirt off Cabanela’s shoulder. “My coat’s not exactly clean.”

Cabanela rakes a judgemental gaze over Jowd’s coat. “Clean enough, I’d say. You’re standing beside me now, aren’t you?”

“Just because you kept insisting that I had to be here,” Jowd responds. “I’m just along for the ride.”

“I disagree,” Cabanela says. “I don’t want to be here without you.”

Jowd nods.

“Have you heard anything about Lynne?” Cabanela asks, shifting the subject away after a moment of awkward silence.

“No,” Jowd answers. “She hasn’t been seen since the Chicken Kitchen. We’re still looking, though.”

“Alright,” Cabanela says. “I think we need to prioritize Yomiel.”

“I agree,” Jowd says. “It has to be connected. Alma’s death, the meteor strike, Temsik….everything that happened tonight goes back to Temsik Park. The night’s wearing thin. Where would he go?”

“Maaaaaybe he’s trying to escape,” Cabanela says. “He’s working with the people that kidnapped Kamila.”

“And McCaw and his partner found someone crushed by the junkyard wrecking ball.” Jowd frowns. “It looks like he’s part of the same group that was at Point X earlier. Did we get any intel about them?”

“No,” Cabanela says. “I talked to Memry about them, and she said that they were the ones who kidnapped Kamila, buuuuuuuuut when she tried to plant a bug on them all she ended up with was the chef.”

“The…chef?” Jowd asks, confused. “What?”

“That’s what Rindge told me, at least,” Cabanela answers. “Iiiiiii’m not quite sure what went down.”

“I think I might have the answer to that.”

“Sissel,” Jowd says, offering him a warm smile. “It’s good to see you under better circumstances. Is someone dead?”

“Not right now,” Sissel answers. “It had to be the chef. The lady managed to figure out the bug. It caused that detective in green and Lynne to die.”

That…does not make sense at all.

“Could you please explain further?” Jowd asks.

“In the timeline where that undercover detective plants a bug on the chicken, one of them manages to figure out they’re being listened to, and when the bug got destroyed, the detective in green died,” Sissel explains, slower now. “I couldn’t save Lynne without saving him. But if it helps, I’m pretty sure they were waiting for the other man in red.”

“You saw him?” Jowd asks.

“I did,” Sissel says. “I’m…not sure what’s going on, but I have to talk to him again.”

“We’re trying to find him too,” Cabanela says. “He has answers for us relating to an incident we’re investigating.”

“Lynne told me a little about it,” Sissel admits, “but I didn’t get very much from her. A murder that happened five years ago, right?”

“Yes.” Jowd frowns.

“She said…it was something she wanted to do for you,” Sissel says, speaking directly to Jowd. “To repay you for what you did ten years ago.”

Jowd looks down. “Whatever she told you…I’m not as much of a hero as she thinks I am.”

“Sounded pretty heroic to me,” Sissel answers. “Lynne said you saved her life.”

“And I nearly killed someone else in the process.”

Cabanela frowns at that comment.

“Doesn’t matter if it didn’t happen,” Sissel says with a shrug. Cabanela flinches.

“That’s not how I see it.” Jowd’s face is impassive. He’s shut down. Cabanela’s seen that face enough to know it’s high time they shifted the subject of conversation to something else.

“Anything else you have to tell us, Sissel?” Cabanela asks.

Sissel hums. “I learned my name from some people on a submarine. They said they were looking for a man that looked like me, going by the name Sissel. And that I was supposed to give them information.”

Jowd looks over at Cabanela. “The docks?”

Cabanela nods. He could go and make his escape down there to that submarine…

“I’ll see if I can find my way down there too,” Sissel says.

“I’ll call the office there for you,” Jowd says. “That’ll make it easier.”

“Thanks.”

“It’s the least I can do for you after you saved our lives tonight.”

“Don’t thank me.” Sissel seems to relax, despite the words. “I’m just looking for answers, and you all seem to have them. As long as I still don’t know the mystery of me…I’ll keep going.” He snaps them back into the real world.

“I will neeeeever be used to that,” Cabanela admits.

“It’s easier if you can sense him,” Jowd admits. “He’s waiting in the pen holder.”

Cabanela raises an eyebrow. “And how do you know that, baby?”

“I can…sense him, in a manner of speaking,” Jowd admits. “Call it detective’s instinct.”

“Like you’d know much about instinct,” Cabanela responds, mostly on impulse.

“You were right,” Jowd says. “It never sat right with me to just trust that I was right about what happened five years ago. But you said…”

“‘...if you can’t trust your instincts, trust me,’” Cabanela fills in. “I remember.”

-

It had been five years ago when the payphone on the street corner of Cabanela’s usual route home rang.

He was curious enough to pick up.

“Cabanela?” Jowd had asked, sounding like he was about to cry. Cabanela hadn’t heard him sound like that since his wedding, and this hadn’t sounded like a happy occasion. “Please. I need you here.”

“Are you at home?” he had asked, swinging onto his bike.

“Yes,” Jowd had answered, and Cabanela rode off as fast as his bike could go. When he got to the house, the sight in front of him had been astonishing, to say the least.

Alma was dead. Shot in the chest. Clean. Hit the heart. Cabanela remembers thinking that at the very least she had died a quick death.

And above her, Kamila had been crying, with Jowd soothing her.

“It wasn’t supposed to do that!” Cabanela had heard.

“Report,” Cabanela had snapped, using the same tone as the chief, just to get them to snap out of it.

Jowd looked up. “Thank you.”

“What’s going on?” Cabanela grabbed a pair of gloves from his jacket. They weren’t crime scene forensic style, but they were good enough. The gun on the wall… 

“It’s not loaded, but the ammo’s not hard to find if Alma ever needed it,” Jowd admitted softly. “I taught her to shoot.”

“Every gun needs someone to pull the trigger,” Cabanela had answered, and Jowd had flinched. “So who could’ve pulled this from up here?”

“It was me,” Jowd says. “I shot her. With my gun.”

His tone is too flat. 

“I don’t believe that for a second, baby.” The barrel of the gun on the wall was still warm when Cabanela pressed a hand to it.

Jowd had pulled Kamila in closer. Cabanela watched as her tears soaked into his coat.

“It was her birthday, wasn’t it?” Cabanela had asked, softer now. “Hell of a way to celebrate.”

Jowd flinched. “Watch your language.”

“It wasn’t supposed to be like this,” Kamila had said again.

Cabanela knelt. “What do you mean, baby?”

“It was supposed to set off the party poppers,” she sobbed. “There was no string there. I’m not supposed to touch the gun.”

“I don’t know who did it,” Jowd said, “but my little girl’s not responsible for this.”

Cabanela looked at the gun in his hand. At the wall in front of him. At the decorations on the table, preparing for a party.

“She told me about it,” Jowd continued. “The machine. The cupid here…it’s supposed to face the table.”

“Then…something must have happened,” Cabanela said.

“I…don’t know what to think,” Jowd admitted. “Kamila, go up to your room. We’ll talk more later.”

Kamila nodded eagerly and scampered away.

“I know…I don’t want to think she could have done it,” Jowd continued. “But…the only person in the house was her. What else could it be? I want to say that she didn’t do it. I want more than anything to say that. But…”

“If you can’t trust your instincts, trust me,” Cabanela had told him. “I’m your partner. If I say she didn’t do it, she didn’t do it.”

They messed with the window, made the lock look like it was tampered with. There was an outside possibility now.

Cabanela had filed the reports, and tried not to think too hard about how he made himself accomplice to a crime.

-

“Sounds like you learned something from me after all,” Cabanela quips half-heartedly.

“It’s been years,” Jowd answers.

The lines start to blur after that long together. Cabanela knows Jowd as well as he knows himself. Maybe better, even.

Jowd picks up the phone and calls the docks.

“Sorry, I meant to dial someone else,” he says, and then puts down the phone. “Sissel should be on his way now. He’s not here.”

“Let’s go, then,” Cabanela says. “See if we can catch him.”

-

They find Yomiel uncovering a motorboat.

“So you’re not dead,” Yomiel says, directing the words to Jowd, bitterness seeping into his voice. “That just means I can do it myself.”

Cabanela reaches for the handcuffs in his coat’s inside pocket, and then he feels nothing at all.

-

The feel of a gun in his hand…the bang…what’s happening? Why can’t he do anything? He can’t see. He can’t feel. What’s around him? What’s happening?

-

When he comes to, he’s flat on the ground. Someone’s on top of his back.

“What’s going on?” Cabanela barks.

“Looks like you’re yourself again,” Lynne says from behind him. The weight gets off his back. He rolls over to see her and Jowd standing above him. “I managed to find my own way here, thanks to some intel Sissel gave me.” She offers him a hand. Cabanela takes it and pulls himself up. “Will someone just tell me what’s going on? I’ve been involved in this the whole time. Are you telling me that he’s the one who took me hostage?!”

“We need Sissel for this conversation,” Jowd just says, and they all pop back into the Ghost World.

“You two have been managing to dodge explaining this whole time,” Sissel says, blankly, without accusation despite the words. “There is no hiding here. Your thoughts are projected into speech. And yet…”

“His name is Yomiel,” Jowd says. “The man who took Lynne hostage. The man we’ve been chasing all night.”

Sissel’s form flickers and glitches before ultimately settling on a blue flame — one with sunglasses, but incorporeal nonetheless.

No more incorporeal than any other ghost, Cabanela supposes.

“I guess I know who he is, at least,” Sissel says. “But I’m not him.”

“No, you’re not,” Cabanela says. “That much has been clear from the start. The real Yomiel…”

Lynne gasps. “He killed Alma?!”

“That’s what we’ve been thinking, baby,” Cabanela says.

Sissel gestures over to Jowd. “He told me that you couldn’t solve the mystery until you found out about ghost tricks.”

Lynne looks down. “I’m sorry I’ve been getting in your way. Both of your ways. I didn’t realize it was all connected. I thought…I thought you had given up on it.”

“So you conducted your own investigation,” Cabanela says, “and you would’ve presented the findings to us if you had figured it out.”

“Well,” Lynne says, “I’m still not really sure. I’ve been hiding out here because it’s one of the shadier parts of town. It’s easy to stay away from the other officers.”

“Yomiel doesn’t just possess objects like Sissel does,” Jowd says. “He can also possess people.”

“So that’s what happened to me,” Cabanela says. “Did I…”

“Everyone but me’s currently alive,” Sissel says. “Missile helped.”

“Though I suspect one of my ribs is broken,” Jowd says dryly.

“Did Yomiel get away?” Cabanela asks.

“I think it’s more important that you’re alive,” Sissel says. “I have one more method of finding him. There’s a phone line to that submarine. And then…I guess from there it’ll be up to me. But what I do know is that whoever he’s working with has something planned for Yomiel and whatever Temsik is.”

“The park?” Lynne asks. “It’s always been named that…”

“He was hit by the meteor,” Jowd says. “That could be it.”

“I don’t have much longer here,” Sissel says. “Supposedly, I’m going to be gone once the morning comes. Not sure that’s true anymore, but…I have to find out the truth, and I think he’s the only one who knows.”

“Good luck,” Lynne says. “I’m rooting for you!”

“Thanks,” Sissel says.

“I know what happened to me now,” Lynne says. “He possessed me, didn’t he? I remember not being in control of myself. I can’t remember what actually happened, though…”

“There’s video footage from the surveillance footage of you shooting him,” Jowd says. “It’s irrefutable evidence. However, we also have evidence that he survived, unharmed. It’s likely that we could get the chief to drop your case.”

She perks up. “Really? You’d do that for me?”

“If anything, it’d fall under our purview, due to the…strangeness,” Jowd says.

“And weeeeeeee know for a fact that you didn’t kill him,” Cabanela says. “He’s still alive, after all.”

“More like he’s been dead the whole time,” Jowd says, frowning. “He said that to me while you were retrieving Amelie. He blames me for killing him. Was…”

“No,” Cabanela says. “You’re not right to blame yourself for it. It wasn’t you. It was never you.”

“He was going to make you shoot me,” Jowd says. “That’s what he did when he possessed you. You had your gun pointed at me. That was when Lynne came in.”

“Well, it’s not like anyone else was going to do anything.” She seems distinctly uncomfortable in a way that Cabanela doesn’t see often. “I mean, it sucks that I shot someone I barely knew, even if he did turn out to be totally alive and also evil. It would suck even harder to have shot someone I actually care about.”

“Thaaaaanks,” Cabanela says. “I appreciate it.”

“No problem!” she responds. “So, are you guys going to take me back to the station, then? I had a good run evading the law…”

“I don’t thiiiiiiink you’ll want to say that to the chief,” Cabanela says. The three of them walk back to the police car together.

“Then I just won’t,” she answers.

-

“It’s been a long night,” Jowd says.

The sun’s starting to rise. Cabanela hadn’t even noticed it was nearly dawn.

“We got a lot done,” Cabanela answers. “You think we need the SIU anymore now that we’ve solved the case?”

“We still need to find Yomiel,” Jowd says. “It’s not the end. We might know what happened, but…this isn’t over yet. Not until he can’t cause any more chaos.”

“I agree,” Cabanela says. “A new adventure awaits, baby!” He yawns. “But for now…I’m headin’ back home.”

“Have a good one,” Jowd says. “And I’ll see you then, too.”

Cabanela leaves and gets on his bike, taking one last look at the sunrise before riding off.

[ladymiraclewings]

Hunter: Detective, why does it look like you are rubbing off fingerprints at the crime scene? Kikimora: *in a fake attire* What?? I was just rubbing the dust off the doorhandle-

[biomax-attendance-machine]

Biometric Attendance Machine

A biometric attendance machine is a technology used to track and manage employee attendance based on biometric data, such as fingerprints, facial recognition, or iris scans. These systems are often employed in workplaces, educational institutions, and other organizations to ensure accurate and secure tracking of time and attendance. Here’s a comprehensive overview of biometric attendance machines:

Types of Biometric Attendance Machines

Fingerprint Scanners

Description: Use fingerprint recognition to verify identity. Employees place their finger on a sensor, and the system matches the fingerprint against a stored template.

Pros: Quick and reliable; well-suited for high-traffic areas.

Cons: May be less effective with dirty or damaged fingers; requires regular cleaning.

Facial Recognition Systems

Description: Use facial recognition technology to identify individuals based on their facial features. Employees look into a camera, and the system matches their face against a database.

Pros: Contactless and convenient; can be integrated with other security measures.

Cons: May be affected by changes in lighting or facial features; requires good camera quality.

Iris Scanners

Description: Scan the unique patterns in the iris of the eye to identify individuals. Employees look into a device that captures the iris pattern.

Pros: Highly accurate; difficult to spoof.

Cons: Typically more expensive; requires careful alignment.

Voice Recognition Systems

Description: Use voice patterns for identification. Employees speak into a microphone, and the system analyzes their voice.

Pros: Contactless; can be used in various environments.

Cons: Can be affected by background noise or voice changes.

Hand Geometry Systems

Description: Measure the shape and size of the hand and fingers. Employees place their hand on a scanner, which records its dimensions.

Pros: Effective and reliable; less invasive.

Cons: Requires specific hand placement; less common than fingerprint or facial recognition systems.

Key Features

Data Storage and Management

Centralized Database: Stores biometric data and attendance records securely.

Integration: Often integrates with HR and payroll systems to streamline data management.

Accuracy and Speed

High Accuracy: Minimizes errors and false positives/negatives in identification.

Fast Processing: Ensures quick check-in and check-out times for employees.

Security

Data Encryption: Protects biometric data with encryption to prevent unauthorized access.

Anti-Spoofing: Includes features to detect and prevent fraudulent attempts, such as using fake fingerprints or photos.

User Interface

Ease of Use: Features a simple interface for both employees and administrators.

Reporting: Generates detailed reports on attendance, overtime, and absences.

Customization

Settings: Allows customization of attendance policies, work schedules, and shift timings.

Alerts and Notifications: Sends alerts for exceptions or anomalies, such as missed clock-ins or outs.

Benefits

Improved Accuracy: Reduces errors and fraud associated with manual or card-based systems.

Enhanced Security: Ensures that only authorized personnel can access facilities and clock in/out.

Time Efficiency: Speeds up the check-in and check-out process, reducing queues and wait times.

Automated Tracking: Automates attendance management, reducing administrative workload.

Detailed Reporting: Provides comprehensive data on attendance patterns, helping with workforce management and planning.

Considerations

Privacy Concerns: Ensure compliance with privacy laws and regulations regarding biometric data collection and storage.

Cost: Evaluate the initial investment and ongoing maintenance costs. High-end biometric systems may be more expensive.

Integration: Consider how well the system integrates with existing HR and payroll software.

User Acceptance: Provide training to employees and address any concerns about the use of biometric technology.

Popular Brands and Models

ZKTeco: Known for a wide range of biometric solutions, including fingerprint and facial recognition systems.

Hikvision: Offers advanced facial recognition systems with integrated attendance management.

Suprema: Provides high-quality fingerprint and facial recognition devices.

BioTime: Specializes in biometric attendance systems with robust reporting and integration features.

Anviz: Offers various biometric solutions, including fingerprint and facial recognition devices.

By choosing the right biometric attendance machine and properly implementing it, organizations can improve attendance tracking, enhance security, and streamline HR processes.

[papermoonloveslucy]

LUCY & THE SUNDAY FUNNIES

A Look at the Comic Strips of the Lucyverse

Comic strips and comic books are part of pop culture history - just like Lucy - so it is natural that the two sometimes collided. Here are some examples of popular comics that went from the Sunday funny gage, to the Monday night tv fun!

DICK TRACY

Dick Tracy is an American comic strip featuring a tough and intelligent police detective created by Chester Gould. It made its debut on October 4, 1931 in the Detroit Mirror, and it was distributed by the Chicago Tribune New York News Syndicate. Dick Tracy has also been the hero in a number of films, two of which were released in 1947.  From 1934 to 1948 "Dick Tracy" was also radio serial. Tracy was mainly heard about on Lucille Ball's radio show, "My Favorite Husband" (1948-1951).

"SECRETARIAL SCHOOL" (February 18, 1949) Liz begs the Blabbermouth on the party line to allow her to make a quick call.

LIZ: “Do you have to use the telephone?”

BLABBERMOUTH: “Whaddya expect me to use? A two-way wrist radio?” 

In 1946, Dick Tracy introduced a two-way wrist radio. In 1948, that cartoon item was brought to reality, along with a myriad of other Dick Tracy-themed toys. 

"THE ANNIVERSARY PRESENTS" (May 13, 1949) Liz is positive that George will remember their anniversary. After dropping several hints, George still hasn’t said anything.  Finally, he looks up from his newspaper with something to tell her.

GEORGE: “Dick Tracy found the jewels!” 

On May 13, 1949, the daily Dick Tracy comic strip revealed that the missing jewels has been found. The case involved a character named Pear-Shape, who owned a weight loss business but was overweight himself. He conned an elderly widow out of the jewels and sold them to a fence. 

"GETTING OLD" (May 20, 1949) Liz find a book she forgot to return to the library, long overdue. George wants to donate it to their tag sale, but Liz refuses to handle ‘hot’ merchandise. George sarcastically calls her Pear-Shape. 

George is not referring to Liz's waistline, but to the character in the Dick Tracy comic strip named Pear-Shape Tone, who was part of the storyline from April to July 1949. He was a racketeer who would steal jewelry from his wealthier clients, then fence it to make a profit.

"LIZ IN THE HOSPITAL" (May 27, 1949) As George speeds toward the hospital a cop pulls them over. Liz thinks that if she gets arrested she can’t go to the hospital so she tells the officer that they are driving a stolen car.  When George tries to interrupt, she calls him Pear-Shape to further reinforce her fake story of thievery.

Pear-Shape must have been quite popular in May 1949, because this is the third consecutive episode of “My Favorite Husband” where he is mentioned! 

"LIZ AND GEORGE ARE HANDCUFFED" (December 30, 1949) George overhears Liz playing out a scene from Dick Tracy with little Tommy Wood from next door, who got a Dick Tracy outfit for Christmas and has been playing cops and robbers ever since.  Liz says his sisters won’t play Tess Truehart to his Dick Tracy. George corrects her that she is now known as Tess Tracy, since Dick and Tess recently got married.  

LIZ: “You mean I’ve been playing around with a married man?”

On December 25, 1949, just five days before this broadcast, Dick finally married his girlfriend, Tess Truehart.

Little Tommy ‘Tracy’ comes over to show ‘Pruneface’ Cooper (Liz) his badge, handcuffs, and finger print outfit.

LIZ: “Tommy, is it true that no two people in the whole world have the same fingerprints?” 

TOMMY: “Nah, that’s a lot of bunk. I’ve already found three people who have exactly the same fingerprints; my daddy, Santa Claus, and the crook who broke into my piggy bank.”

"THE JIMMY DURANTE SHOW" (April 29, 1948) Lucille Ball guest stars in an episode where they take a magic carpet around the country to see how things might be different if women were captains of industry. In Paris, Illinois, they visit the second largest perfume factory in the country, owned by Hot Breath Houlihan. 

DURANTE: “Now I know who set B.O. Plenty’s house on fire!” 

B.O. Plenty was a character from Dick Tracy comic strip. In March 1948, his house mysteriously burned down and everyone feared the character was dead. Readers actually wrote to the newspaper begging Chester Gould not to kill off B.O. Plenty and Gravel Gertie! 

From 1950 to 1951, "Dick Tracy" was a television series, ending just a few months before "I Love Lucy" went on the air. Dick Elliott (right) made his television debut as Officer Murphy. He had done several films with Lucille Ball and appeared on "I Love Lucy" in two episodes. Likewise, Pierre Watkin played Police Chief Pat Patton. He had also done several films with Lucy and two episodes of "I Love Lucy."

Ten years later there was an animated series titled "Dick Tracy" featuring Lucille Ball alumni Jerry Hausner, Benny Rubin, and Mel Blanc.

In 1967 there was a pilot for a new live-action "Dick Tracy" series that went unsold. It featured Eve Plumb and Victor Buono, who later did episodes of "Here's Lucy," but were far more famous for other shows.

LI'L ABNER

Li'l Abner was a satirical comic strip that featured a fictional clan of hillbillies living in the mountain village of Dogpatch USA. Written and illustrated by Al Capp (1909–1979), the strip ran for 43 years, from August 13, 1934, through November 13, 1977. The strip inspired a 1956 Broadway musical that was filmed in 1959. Prior to that there was a non-musical film in 1940. A radio series was heard from 1939 to 1940.

"GEORGE ATTENDS A TEENAGE DANCE" (November 20, 1948) This episode of "My Favorite Husband" opens with Liz reading the morning papers over breakfast.

LIZ: “Who do you suppose got married?”

KATIE THE MAID: “Li’l Abner and Daisy Mae?”

Almost from the start, Abner Yokum was being pursued for matrimony by Daisy Mae Scragg. The reading public found it quite a tease that the two were clearly destined to get together. They finally married in 1952, nearly four years after this broadcast. The event made the cover of LIFE Magazine. 

"LIZ LEARNS TO DRIVE" (November 13, 1948) George reads about his old college girlfriend, Myra Ponsenby, in the morning paper. Liz is unenthusiastic. 

LIZ: “What’s new in Lower Slobbovia?” 

“Lower Slobbovia” was a term first used in 1946 by Capp to describe a place that was unenlightened and socially backward. The term entered popular culture when referring to any place hopelessly stuck in the past.

"FIRST STOP" (January 17, 1955) Fred Mertz calls the rundown Ohio roadside diner "Lower Slobbovia.”

In "Tennessee Ernie Visits" (May 3, 1954) Fred calls Cousin Ernie "Little Abner".

The Broadway musical and film adaptation starred Peter Palmer as the title character. Palmer played Brother Peter in Lucille Ball's failed NBC sitcom "Bungle Abbey" (1980). On Broadway, Daisy Mae was played by Edie Adams (aka Mrs. Ernie Kovacs), who played herself in the very last episode of "The Lucy-Desi Comedy Hour" (1960). The film also featured Lucy players William Lanteau, Alan Carney, Bern Hoffman, Bobby Jellison, and Torben Mayer.

The 1940 film featured Lucy's mentor Buster Keaton as Lonesome Polecat and Dick Elliott as Marryin' Sam. A new 1971 musical special featured Lucy alumni Carol Burnett, Ken Berry, Eddie Albert, and Donald O'Connor. In 1967, "Here's Lucy" director Coby Ruskin created a pilot for a "Li'l Abner" series that failed to sell.

LITTLE ORPHAN ANNIE

Little Orphan Annie was a daily comic strip created by Harold Gray and syndicated by the Tribune Media Services. It made its debut on August 5, 1924, in the New York Daily News. In 1930 it became one of the first comic strips adapted to radio, and attracted about 6 million fans before leaving the air in 1942. It was adapted to film in 1932 and 1938, and (like Li'l Abner) even became a Broadway musical. The success of the 1977 musical is credited with revitalizing the popularity of the franchise. The musical was filmed in 1982, 2014, and for television in 1999.

"LUCY WANTS NEW FURNITURE" (June 1, 1953) Lucy likens her over-permed hair to a chrysanthemum, while Fred calls her Little Orphan Annie.

Annie is generally depicted with a mass of red hair and a red dress with a white collar.

"THE STAR UPSTAIRS" (1955) Cornel Wilde is trying in vain to read a soaking wet newspaper thrown to him in the bathtub by Lucy disguised as a bellboy.

 WILDE: “I thought President Eisenhower was playing golf with Little Orphan Annie.” 

Eisenhower was famous for playing golf and Annie was famous on the comic pages, so it easy to see a mash-up of the two from a soggy paper.

"LUCY AND ART LINKLETTER" (January 10, 1966) Seeing Lucy’s wide-eyed look, Mr. Mooney tells her to "stop looking like an over-aged Orphan Annie.”

In the comic strip, Annie's eyes have no pupils!

"LUCY GETS TRAPPED" (September 18, 1967) Lucy calls in sick, but goes shopping instead. When she's named Customer of the Year in a big celebration, she tries to hide the newspaper with her picture in it from Mr. Mooney. She tells him there's nothing new in the newspaper.

LUCY (about the news): "Oh, the temperature’s up, the stock market’s down, and Little Orphan Annie is lost again!”  

During its 86 years of publication, Annie being lost or having disappeared was a frequent storyline. In fact, when the strip finally ceased publication in 2010, it ended with Daddy Warbucks "resigning himself to Miss Annie's being lost forever."

SUPERMAN

The Man of Steel was introduced to the world in comic book form in June 1938, created by Jerry Siegel and Joel Shuster. Beginning in January 1939, a daily comic strip appeared and a color Sunday version was added that November. Since then, the character, and characters from his world, has been seen in virtually every form of media, including, of course, television.

"LUCY AND SUPERMAN" (January 14, 1957) is considered one of television's first 'cross-over' shows. "The Adventures of Superman" aired from 1951 to 1958 in syndication, concurrent with "I Love Lucy". It starred George Reeves as Superman, a role he also plays on this episode of "I Love Lucy." While "Superman" made the transition to color in 1954, CBS kept "Lucy" in black and white for its entire run. Reeves is never mentioned by name in the dialogue or in the original credits, although it is pretty clear that Lucy and Ricky are recruiting "the actor who plays Superman" to entertain at Little Ricky's birthday party, not the superhero himself. Keith Thibodeaux (Little Ricky) later said that this was his very favorite episode. Because Desilu had obtained the license to use the actual Superman logo, they weren’t shy about using it! They even got permission to use the show’s theme music, composed by Leo Klatzkin. 

Actors who were also seen on “Adventures of Superman” and their (characters) on “I Love Lucy”: Doris Singleton (Caroline Appleby), Elizabeth Patterson (Mrs. Trumbull), Tristram Coffin (Harry Munson), Herb Vigran (Jule / Al Sparks / Joe), Claude Akins (Himself aka ‘Giant Native’), Hayden Rorke (Mr. O’Brien), Phil Arnold (Harry Henderson / Man in Hotel Hallway), Milton Frome (Bill Henderson), Pierre Watkin (Mr. Dorrance), Dick Elliott (Tourist at Empire State Building / Yankee Stadium Spectator), Maurice Marsac (Maurice / Waiter), Frank J. Scannell (Buffo the Clown), Lou Krugman (Hollywood Director / Jewelry Salesman / Club Manager), Joi Lansing (Herself / Miss Low Neck), Larry Dobkin (Counterman / Waiter / Counterfeiter), Rolfe Sedan (Paris Chef), Eve McVeagh (Roberta the Hairdresser), Norman Varden (Mrs. Benson), Danni Sue Nolan (Mr. Reilly’s Secretary), Harry Cheshire (Sam Johnson), Ken Christy (Ken the Detective / Dock Agent), Robert Foulk (Brooklyn Policeman), Sid Melton (Jockey / Bellboy / Shorty), Bert Stevens (Tropicana Patron), Harold Miller (Theatre Patron / Ship Passenger), Hans Moebus (Man on Dock), Ernesto Molinari (Vineyard Boss), Jack Chefe (Bellhop / French Waiter), Bess Flowers (Tropicana Patron / Theatre Patron), and Monty O’Grady (Ship’s Passenger / Man at Airport).

Picking up Little Ricky’s toys, Lucy holds one of his “Superboy” comic books. It is the December 1956 issue (#53), hot off the presses during filming. Ironically, on the cover, Superman is looking at television!   Even more ironically, inside the comic book was an ad titled “Draw Bob Hope”. Hope had just appeared on the season opener of “I Love Lucy.”

BATMAN

Batman was created by Bill Kane and Bill Finger in May 1939, just a year after Superman. As with Superman, there were numerous radio, film, and television adaptations of the characters, most notably a series starring Adam West that aired from 1966 to 1968.

Alas, there is no direct reference to the Caped Crusader in the Lucyverse. There are, however, plenty of indirect references due to the large number of actors who appeared on the television series who had also appeared with Lucy: Madge Blake, Cesar Romero, Van Johnson, Shelley Winters, Liberace, Tallulah Bankhead, Ethel Merman, Milton Berle, Rudy Vallee, Ida Lupino, Howard Duff, Stafford Repp, Victor Buono, Vincent Price, Edward Everett Horton, Vito Scotti, Norma Varden, Tristram Coffin, Ellen Corby, Sammy Davis Jr., Allen Jenkins, Art Linkletter, Alan Hale Jr., Jessyln Fax, Ben Welden, Dick Kallman, Alberto Morin, Bryan O'Byrne, and Larry Anthony.

Most notable among these is Madge Blake, who played Aunt Harriet on "Batman" as well as two characters on "I Love Lucy" and one on "The Lucy Show." She was also seen with Lucy and Desi in The Long, Long Trailer (1954). Coincidentally, she played Martha, a prospective new tenant in "Lucy and Superman" (see above). When she sees something outside the apartment window, her husband Herbert is concerned.

HERBERT: “Was it a bird?”

MARTHA: “No.”

HERBERT:  “Was it a plane?”

MARTHA: “No.”

HERBERT: “Well, what was it, dear?”

MARTHA: “It was Superman!”

A 1949 film titled Batman and Robin featured Lucy performers Jack Chefe, Lyle Talbot, William Fawcett, and Phil Arnold.

DENNIS THE MENACE

Dennis the Menace, a comic strip centered around a mischievous but good natured young suburban boy, made its debut on March 12, 1951 syndicated in newspapers. Its success inspired comic books and (most famously) a television series that aired from 1959 to 1963.

"LUCY THE ROBOT" (February 28, 1966) Jay North, who played Dennis, guest-starred on a 1966 episode of "The Lucy Show" playing the 13 year-old nephew of Mr. Mooney (Gale Gordon). Lucy dresses as a toy soldier robot to divert him.

“You will keep that MENACE subdued for the next eight days!” ~ Mr. Mooney to Lucy about Wendell

During the final season of "Dennis", the long-suffering character of neighbor George Wilson was written out due to the death of actor Joseph Kearns. Kearns had played two characters on “I Love Lucy” - a psychiatrist in season one, and a theatre manager in season six. Gale Gordon was added to the cast as George’s brother, Henry.

When Lucille Ball was finally convinced to return to network television in 1962, she naturally wanted Gordon to join her, but he was unavailable due to his prior commitment to “Dennis the Menace” so Mrs. Carmichael’s put-upon banker was played by Charles Lane. Lane was also on “Dennis” as the recurring character of druggist Mr. Finch. He played the role six times before leaving for “Lucy”, his final episode airing just a day before his penultimate episode of “Lucy”! 

When “Dennis” was canceled and Gordon was finally free, Ball wasted no time in hiring him and had Lane’s character was written out in order to make way for a new banker, Theodore Mooney.  “Dennis the Menace” also had a character named Theodore Mooney - a police sergeant (George Cisar). He was often seen in the company of a woman named Lucy (Mrs. Lucy Elkins played by Irene Tedrow, and John Wilson (Gale Gordon).  

Another cast member that "Lucy" and "Dennis" had in common was Danny, a cairn terrier who played Fred the dog on "I Love Lucy" and Freemont, Mr. Wilson's dog, on "Dennis the Menace." Danny was trained by Bill Blair and owned by Frank Inn, Hollywood's busiest animal actor supplier.

Besides Gordon, Lane, and Kearns, “Dennis” also featured “Lucy Show” and/or “I Love Lucy” alumni: Mary Wickes (Miss Cathcart), Edward Everett Horton (Uncle Ned), Kathryn Card (Mrs. Biddy), Parley Baer (Captain Blast), Elvia Allman (Edna), Tyler McVey (Mr. Carlson), Dub Taylor (Opie Swanson), Norman Leavitt (various roles), Bob Jellison (Announcer), Richard Reeves (Mr. Kelly), Lurene Tuttle (Mrs. Courtland), Nestor Paiva (Gamali), Jonathan Hole (Addison Brook), Stanley Adams (Jerry Richman), Willard Waterman (Otis Quigley), Harry Cheshire (Mr. Petry), Eve McVeagh (Mrs. Purcell), Harvey Korman (Bowers), Stafford Repp (Lt. Wheeler), Verna Felton (Aunt Emma), Madge Blake (Mrs. Porter), Ellen Corby (Miss Douglas), Eleanor Audley (Mrs. Pompton), and frequent extras Leoda Richards, Leon Alton, Olan Soule, Larry J. Blake, George DeNormand, and Monty O’Grady.

THE GUMPS

The Gumps is a comic strip about a middle-class family headed by hen-pecked husband Andy. It was created by Sidney Smith in 1917, launching a 42-year run in newspapers from February 12, 1917, until October 17, 1959, just six month before the last time America saw the Ricardos and Mertzes for the last time.

"The Adagio" (December 31, 1951) Ricky says “All this shaving is liable to wear my chin away,” to which Lucy replies “Okay, Andy Gump.”

The character had a bushy mustache but no lower jaw. Cartoonist Smith based him on real-life Andy Wheat who had his jaw removed after a tooth infection.

BUSTER BROWN

Buster Brown is a comic-strip character created in 1902 by Richard F. Outcault. Adopted as the mascot of the Brown Shoe Company in 1904, Buster Brown, along with Mary Jane, and with his dog Tige, became well known to the American public in the early-20th century. The character's name was used to describe a popular style of suit for young boys, the Buster Brown suit.

"THE ENGLISH TUTOR" (December 29, 1952) Lucy hires a grammar instructor so her new baby will grow up surrounded by well-spoken friends and family. Fred sarcastically shows up to the first session wearing a Buster Brown suit.

ETHEL: "All right, Buster Brown, go downstairs and get out of that silly outfit."

"THE RICARDOS CHANGE APARTMENTS" (May 18, 1953) To give Ricky the feeling their apartment is too small, Lucy fills the flat with toys, including a frog with a tongue that popped out when squeezed. This was actually a TV tie-in (one of the first) called Froggy the Gremlin. The character made its debut on radio’s “Buster Brown Gang” in 1944, which was brought to television in 1951 as “Smilin’ Ed’s Gang” with Froggy as a puppet and – occasionally – a life-sized costume character. In various formats, the program was seen from 1951 to 1960 (also on CBS) and featured "Lucy" performers June Foray, Vitto Scotti, Lou Krugman, Alan Reed, and Jerry Maren as Buster Brown.

BRENDA STARR, REPORTER

Brenda Starr is a comic strip started by Don Messick in 1940 about an adventurous and glamourous female reporter. The strip ended in 2011.  

"LUCY BECOMES A REPORTER" (January 21, 1963) When Lucy takes a job as the editor of the Danfield Tribune's social column, Mr. Foley, the Tribune’s editor, sarcastically refers to Lucy as Brenda Starr.

Like Lucy, Brenda had red hair.

THE KATZENJAMMER KIDS

The Katzenjammer Kids was a comic strip created by German immigrant Rudolph Dirks which appeared from 1897 to 2006. Dirks was said to be the first to use 'thought balloons' in a comic strip.

"LUCY AND THE DIAMOND CUTTER" (November 16, 1970) Wally Cox plays Gustav, a nervous diamond cutter who stays at the Carter home while waiting to cut an expensive gem. Gustav calls Kim and Craig “the Katzenjammer Kids.”

The line is humorous due to Cox's thick German accent.

BRINGING UP FATHER

"VIV VISITS LUCY" (1967) A hippie named Itchy (Les Brown Jr.) tells Viv he doesn't miss his parents because “that 'Maggie and Jiggs' action was pretty hard to take.” Maggie and Jiggs (or Jiggs and Maggie) was the colloquial name for a comic strip actually titled “Bringing Up Father.” It was created by George McManus and ran from 1913 to 2000.  The strip presented the life of a nouveau-riche American family. It was translated to stage, radio, television and six films.

It is often forgotten that "I Love Lucy" was also a comic strip which appeared daily from 1952 until 1955. In fact, it was the comic strip that broke the news that Lucy Ricardo had given birth to a boy! These were then collected into "I Love Lucy" comic books. "The Lucy Show" was also a series of comic books, published by Gold Key from 1963.